HOMTIOALCERJR 


'  W  MMim$S't''-W&*»***i6saat* 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


GIFT  OF 

HENRY  B.  FERNALD 


T" 


IN  A  NEW  WORLD 


AMONG  THE  GOLD-FIELDS  OF  AUSTRALIA 


BY 

HORATIO  ALGER,  JR. 

AUTHOR  OF  "PACING  THE  WORLD,"  "DO  AND 

DARE,"  "RAGGED  DICK  SERIES,"  "LUCK 

AND    PLUCK   SERIES,"  ETC. 


PHILADELPHIA 
PORTER   &  COATES 


FAMOUS  ALGER  BOOKS. 


RAGGED  DICK  SERIES.  By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  6  vols.  12mo.  Cloth. 
RAGGED  DICK.  ROUGH  AND  READY. 

FAME  AND  FORTUNE.  BEN  THE  LUGGAGE  BOY. 

MARK  THE  MATCH  BOY.  RUFUS  AND  ROSE. 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES.  By  HORATIO  ALGER,  Jn.    4  vols.    12mo. 

Cloth.    FIRST  SERIES. 

TATTERED  TOM.  PHIL  THE  FIDDLER. 

PAUL  THE  PEDDLER.  SLOW  AND  SURE. 

TATTERED  TOM  SERIES.    4  vols.    12mo.    Cloth.    SECOND  SERIES. 
JULIUS.  SAM'S  CHANCE. 

THE  YOUNG  OUTLAW.  THE  TELEGRAPH  BOY. 

CAMPAIGN  SERIES.    By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.    3  vols. 

FRANK'S  CAMPAIGN.  CHARLIE  CODMAN'S  CRUISE. 

PAUL  PRESCOTT'S  CHARGE. 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES.  By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  4  vols.  12mo. 

Cloth.    FIRST  SERIES. 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK.  STRONG  AND  STEADY. 

SINK  OR  SWIM.  .    STRIVE  AND  SUCCEED. 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES.    4  vols.    12mo.   Cloth.   SECOND  SERIES. 
TRY  AND  TRUST.  RISKN  FROM  THE  RANKS. 

BOUND  TO  RISE.  HERBERT  CARTER'S  LEGACY. 

BRAVE  AND  BOLD  SERIES.  By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  4  vols.  12mo. 

Cloth. 

BRAVE  AND  BOLD.  SHIFTING  FOR  HIMSELF. 

JACK'S  WARD.  WAIT  AND  HOPE. 

PACIFIC  SERIES.    By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.    4  vols.    12mo. 
THE  YOUNG  ADVENTURER.  THE  YOUNG  EXPLORERS. 

THE  YOUNG  MINER.  BEN'S  NUGGET. 

ATLANTIC  SERIES.     By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.    4  vols. 

THE  YOUNG  CIRCUS  RIDER.  HECTOR'S  INHERITANCE. 

Do  AND  DARE.  HELPING  HIMSELF. 

WAY  TO  SUCCESS  SERIES.  By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.   4  vols.   12rao. 

Cloth. 

BOB  BURTON.  LUKE  WALTON. 

THE  STORE  BOY.  STRUGGLING  UPWARD. 

NEW  WORLD  SERIES.   By  HORATIO  ALGER,  JR.  3  vols.  12m o.  Cloth. 
DIGGING  FOR  GOLD.       FACING  THE  WORLD.       IN  A  NEW  WOULD. 

Other  Volumes  in  Preparation. 

COPYRIGHT,  1893,  BY  PORTER  &  COATES. 


pzr 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  OLD  FRIENDS  IN  MELBOURNE,          ...  1 

II.  PLANNING  FOR  THE  FUTURE,         ...  9 

III.  FLETCHER  ACTS  SUSPICIOUSLY,         ...  18 

IV.  A  TIMELY  RESCUE, 26 

V.  STARTING  FOR  THE  MINES,        .        .        .        .31 

VI.  A  XIGHT  INCIDENT, 40 

VII.  PARTING  COMPANY, 49 

VIII.  A  VICTIM  OF  TREACHERY.    *.        .        .        .  H8 

IX.  A  DISAGREEABLE  SURPRISE,     ....  66 

X.  FLETCHER  TURNS  UP  AGAIN,        ...  74 

XI.  TAKEN  CAPTIVE, 83 

XII.  THE  HOME  OF  THE  BUSHRANGERS,         .        .  91 

XIII.  A  TRIAL  AND  ITS  TRAGIC  FINALE,    .        .        .100 

XIV.  ELECTION  OF  A  NEW  CAPTAIN,      ...  108 
XV.  LOST  IN  THE  WOODS, 118 

XVI.  THE  SHEPHERD'S  HUT 125 

XVII.  A  WELCOME  IN  THE  WILDS,      ....  134 

XVIII.  A  DANGEROUS  ACQUAINTANCE,      .        .        .  142 

XIX.  A  RUFFIAN  FOILED, 151 

XX.  THE  BOYS  ARRIVE.AT  BENDIGO,    .        .        .  ,  130 

XXL  BUYING  A  CLAIM, 168 

iii 


613977 


IV  CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XXII.    STRIKING  LUCK, 177 

XXIII.  RAISING  THE  NUGGET,     ....        186 

XXIV.  THE  NUGGET  IN  DANGER,  .        .        .        .194 
XXV.  THE  MIDNIGHT  ROBBERY,        .        .        .        202 

XXVI.  A  THIEF'S  EMBARRASSMENT,       .        .        .210 

XXVII.  BAFFLED  CUPIDITY,         .        .        .        .        219 

XXVIII.     THE  NUGGET  IN  SAFETY 227 

XXIX.  SELLING  THE  CLAIM,        ....        235 

XXX.  THE  Two  CONSPIRATORS,    .        .        .        .244 

XXXI.    TAKEN  CAPTIVE, 253 

XXXII.  OBED  IN  A  TIGHT  PLACE,     .        .        .        .262 

XXXIII.  THE  TABLES  ARE  TURNED,      ...        271 

XXXIV.  FAREWELL  TO  MELBOURNE,        .        .        .279 
XXXV.  SOME  OLD  ACQUAINTANCES,    ...        288 

XXXVI.  A  HEART-BROKEN  RELATIVE,      .        .        .293 

XXXVII,    HOME  AGAIN 300 

XXXVIII.  THE  BOYS' SECURE  POSITIONS,    .        .        .307 

XXXIX.    CONCLUSION, 314 


A  NEW  WORLD. 


CHAPTER  I. 

OLD   FRIENDS   IN   MELBOURNE. 

A  STOUT  gentleman  of  middle  age  and 
two  boys  were  sitting  in  the  public  room 
of  a  modest  inn  in  Melbourne.  The  gentleman 
was  known  to  the  public  as  Professor  Hemmen- 
way,  who  announced  himself  on  the  pro- 
gramme of  his  entertainment  as  "The  Magi- 
cian of  Madagascar,"  though  he  freely  con- 
fessed to  his  confidential  friends  that  he  had 
never  seen  the  island  of  that  name. 

The  two  boys  were  Harry  Vane  and  Jack 
Pendleton,  American  boys  of  sixteen.  One 
had  come  to  Australia  as  assistant  to  the  pro- 
fessor, and  had  been  accustomed  to  sing  one 
or  two  popular  songs  at  the  magical  entertain- 
ments which  he  gave,  besides  rendering  him- 


2  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

self  generally  useful.  Jack  Pendieton  was  a 
young  sailor,  who  had  resolved  to  try  his  for- 
tune in  the  new  country,  either  at  the  mines 
or  in  any  other  employment  offering  fair  com- 
pensation, before  resuming  his  profession. 
Harry  and  the  professor  had  been  passengers 
on  board  Jack's  ship,  and  the  two  boys  had 
struck  up  an  enduring  friendship.  The  ship 
had  been  wrecked,  and  they  had  spent  some 
weeks  together  on  an  uninhabited  island,  from 
which  they  were  finally  rescued,  as  related  in 
a  preceding  story,  "Facing  the  World."  It 
had  been  the  professor's  intention  to  give  a 
series  of  performances  in  Melbourne  and  other 
parts  of  Australia,  but  the  unexpected  delay 
had  led  him  to  change  his  plans,  and  he  now 
proposed  to  return  to  America  at  once.  Harry 
Vane,  however,  having  no  near  family  ties,  for 
he  was  an  orphan,  felt  inclined  to  stay  with 
Jack,  and  try  his  luck  for  a  time  in  the  New 
World,  which  appealed  strongly  to  his  imagi- 
nation and  youthful  love  of  adventure.  The 
day  had  arrived  for  the  professor's  departure, 
and  he  and  the  two  boys  were  waiting  for  the 
lighter  to  take  him  down  the  Yarra  Yarra 


OLD   FRIENDS   IN   MELBOURNE.  3 

River  to  the  point  of  embarkation,  eight  miles 
distant. 

"Harry,"  said  the  professor  kindly,  "I 
don't  like  to  leave  you  .here.  You  are  only 
sixteen,  and  I  feel  that  it  is  a  great  under- 
taking for  you  to  attempt  to  make  a  living  so 
many  thousand  miles  from  your  native  land. 
I  shall  feel  anxious  about  you." 

"I  don't  feel  anxious  about  myself,  profes- 
sor," said  Harry,  with  the  confidence  natural 
to  youth.  "I  am  young  and  strong,  and  I 
mean  to  succeed." 

"  But  suppose  you  fall  sick  ?  " 

"  Then  Jack  will  look  out  for  me." 

"  You  may  be  sure  of  that,  Hany,"  said 
the  young  sailor,  with  a  glance  of  affection 
at  Harry. 

"  You  might  both  fall  sick." 

"  Is  it  best  to  borrow  trouble  ?  "  said  Harry, 
smiling.  "  I  think  we  shall  come  out  all  right. 
But  I  am  sorry  you  won't  stay  with  us,  pro- 
fessor." 

Professor  Hemmenway  shook  his  head. 

"I  am  three  times  your  age,  Harry,"  he 
said,  "  and  am  not  as  hopeful  or  sanguine  as 


4  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

you.  Besides,  I  have  a  wife  and  children  at 
home  who  are  already  very  anxious  at  my  long 
silence ;  I  did  indeed  mean  to  make  a  profes- 
sional tour  of  Australia,  but  the  shipwreck, 
and  those  lonely  weeks  on  the  island  changed 
my  plans.  Henceforth  I  shall  restrict  myself 
to  America.  I  have  a  competence  already,  and 
can  make  an  income  at  home  twice  as  large  as 
my  expenses.  Why  should  I  incur  any  risks  ? " 

"I  don't  know  but  you  are  right,  profes- 
sor, but  Jack  and  I  are  not  so  fortunate. 
Neither  of  us  has  a  competence,  and  our  pros- 
pects are  probably  better  here  than  at  home." 

"Remember,  Harry,  that  if  you  return  I 
shall  be  glad  to  continue  your  engagement  and 
will  even  increase  your  salary." 

Jack  Pendleton  fixed  his  eyes  anxiously  on 
Harry's  face.  He  feared  that  he  would  yield 
to  the  professor's  persuasion,  and  leave  him, 
but  his  anxiety  was  soon  removed. 

"Thank  you,  professor,"  said  Harry,  "but 
I  don't  want  to  leave  Jack.  If  I  return  in  bad 
luck,  I  may  look  you  up  and  see  whether  the 
offer  still  holds  good.'"" 

"Do  so.     You  will  always  find  a  friend  in 


OLD   FRIENDS   IN   MELBOURNE.  5 

me.  But  that  reminds  me,  Harry,  of  an 
important  consideration.  If  you  are  to  remain 
liere,  you  will  want  some  money." 

"I  have  sixty  dollars  which  I  have  saved 
up  in  your  service." 

"And  how  much  have  you,  Jack?" 

The  young  sailor  colored,  and  looked  a  little 
uneasy. 

"  I  have  only  ten  dollars,"  he  answered. 

"That  is,  we  have  seventy  dollars  between 
us,  Jack,"  said  Harry  promptly. 

"That  is  too  little,"  said  the  professor, 
shaking  his  head.  "You  must  let  me  be  your 
banker." 

"  On  one  condition,  professor,  with  thanks 
for  your  kindness." 

"  What  is  that  ?" 

"A  gentleman  at  home,  Mr.  Thomas  Con- 
way,  President  of  the  Craven  County  Rail- 
road, has  charge  of  two  hundred  and  fifty 
dollars  belonging  to  me.  I  was  fortunate 
enough  to  save  a  railroad  train  from  destruc- 
tion, and  this  is  the  money  the  passengers 
raised  for  me.  I  will  give  you  an  order  on 
him  for  the  amount  of  your  loan." 


6  I1ST  A  NEW   WORLD. 

"  That  is  unnecessary,  Harry  ;  I  am  willing 
to  wait'till  your  return  to  America." 

"Something  might  happen  to  me,  professor, 
and  I  shall  feel  more  comfortable  to  think  that 
my  debts  are  paid." 

"  Have  your  own  way,  then,  Harry.  Shall  I 
give  you  the  whole  amount  ?" 

"No,  professor,  I  am  afraid  it  would  make 
me  less  enterprising." 

"  How  much  shall  it  be  ?" 

"Jack  and  I  have  seventy  dollars  between 
us.  A  hundred  more  ought  to  be  sufficient." 

"As  you  please,  Harry,  but  if  you  get  into 
trouble,  promise  to  communicate  with  me,  and 
send  for  assistance." 

"I  will,  sir." 

At  this  moment  a  carriage  drew  up  in  front 
of  the  inn. 

"It  is  the  carriage  I  ordered  to  take  me  to 
the  lighter,"  said  the  professor.  "You  and 
Jack  must  go  with  me  to  the  ship  and  see  the 
last  of  me." 

"With  great  pleasure,  sir.  Come  along, 
Jack." 

The    hackman    put  the    professor's    trunk 


OLD   FRIENDS   IN   MELBOURNE.  7 

aboard  the  carriage,  and  they  set  out  for  the 
banks  of  the  river.  It  was  a  new  trunk, 
bought  in  Melbourne,  for  the  professor's  trunk 
and  clothing  had  been  lost  at  the  time  of  the 
shipwreck.  His  first  care  had  been  to  get  a 
complete  outfit  in  Melbourne,  and  he  was  now 
as  well  provided  as  when  he  left  New  York. 

The  two  boys  found  the  trip  down  the  river 
a  pleasant  one.  The  trip  by  land  would  have 
been  considerably  shorter,  but  the  professor 
preferred  the  river.  The  distance  to  the  mouth 
is  nine  miles.  Vessels  would  be  able  to  ascend 
the  river  but  for  two  bars  which  obstruct  its 
course.  The  city  of  Melbourne  is  situated 
chiefly  on  the  north  bank,  and  is  at  present  a 
handsomely  built  and  prosperous  town  of  about 
five  hundred  thousand  inhabitants.  At  the 
time  of  Harry's  arrival  it  had  less  than  half 
that  number.  The  country  bordering  the  river 
is  not  particularly  inviting,  but  it  was  new, 
and  the  two  boys  regarded  it  with  interest. 
The  soil  was  barren  and  sandy,  and  the  trees, 
which  were  numerous,  were  eucalyptus  or  gum 
trees,  which  do  not  require  a  rich  soil,  but 
grow  with  great  rapidity  on  sterile  soil. 


8  IX   A   NEW  WORLD. 

"  What  peculiar  leaves  1 "  said  Harry, 
"  they  look  like  leather." 

"True,"  said  the  professor,  "  and  you 
notice  that  instead  of  having  one  surface 
toward  the  sky  and  the  other  toward  the  earth 
they  are  placed  edgewise." 

Soon  they  reached  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
and  there,  just  beyond  the  bar,  rode  the  good 
ship  Arcturus,  on  which  the  professor  was  to 
sail  for  Boston.  His  baggage  was  hoisted  on 
board,  and  then  the  professor  himself  fol- 
lowed. 

"Will  you  come  on  board,  boys  ? "  he  asked. 

"  No,  sir  ;  we  will  go  back  by  the  lighter." 

"Then  good-by,  and  God  bless  you  and 
bring  you  good  luck." 

Harry  could  not  help  feeling  sober  as  he 
bade  farewell  to  his  good  friend,  the  professor. 

"  I  have  only  you  now,  Jack,"  he  said.  "  I 
don't  know  what  lies  before  us,  but  we  must 
stick  fast  to  each  other  in  sunshine  and  in 
storm." 

Jack's  only  answer  was  to  seize  Harry's 
hand  and  press  it  warmly.  Nothing  more  Avas 
needed. 


CHAPTER  II. 

PLAISTXI^G   FOR  THE    FUTURE. 

THE  two  boys  returned  to  the  Crown  Hotel 
in  time  for  dinner,  of  which  they  par- 
took with  the  zest  to  be  expected  of  boys 
thoroughly  healthy.  When  the  meal  was 
over  they  repaired  to  the  public  room. 

"Now,  Jack,"  said  Harry,  "it  is  necessary 
for  us  to  settle  on  our  plans." 

"All  right,"  said  Jack. 

"  Have  you  anything  to  propose  ?" 

"No,  Harry,  you  are  smarter  than  I  am, 
and  I  leave  it  to  you." 

"Thank  you,  Jack,  for  your  confidence,  but 
we  are  on  a  par  here.  '  Neither  of  us  knows 
much  about  Australia.  We  have  a  great  deal 
to  learn." 

"  Then  you  had  better  decide  for  us 
both." 

"  Very  well,  I  accept  the  responsibility,  but 
I  prefer  to  talk  over  my  plans  with  ,you. 


10  IN  A  NEW    WORLD. 

First  of  all,  then,  shall  we  stay  in  Melbourne, 
or  strike  for  the  mines  ? " 

"Just  as  you  say,  Harry,  but  I  would  pre- 
fer the  mines." 

"  I  feel  that  way  myself,  and  for  that  reason 
I  have  been  making  some  inquiries.  There 
are  three  principal  localities,  Ballarat,  Ben- 
digo,  and  Ovens.  We  might  try  one  of  the 
three,  and  if  we  don't  have  good  luck  make 
our-way  to  another." 

"  Which  shall  we  try  first  ?  " 

"I  have  thought  of  Bendigo.  I  hear  of  one 
party  that  cleared  two  thousand  pounds  out  of 
one  hole." 

"How much  is  that  ? "  asked  Jack,  who  was 
not  very  well  acquainted  with  any  but  United 
States  currency. 

"It  is  equal  to  ten  thousand  dollars," 
answered  Harry. 

"  That's  a  big  pile  of  money,"  said  Jack,  his 
eyes  sparkling. 

"  True,  but  we  mustn't  expect  to  be  so  for- 
tunate. It  isn't  everybody  who  succeeds  as 
well  as  that," 

"I  should  be  satisfied  with  a  thousand, 
Harry." 


PLANNING  FOR  THE  FUTURE.       11 

"  And  what  would  you  do  with  it,  Jack?  " 

"Convey  it  home  to  my  mother,  Harry. 
But  I  would  fix  it  so  that  my  step-father 
couldn't  get  hold  of  it." 

"  You  are  a  good  boy,  Jack,  for  thinking  so 
much  of  your  mother.  I  wish  I  had  a  mother 
to  provide  for,"  and  Harry  Vane  looked  sober. 

"Do  you  know  how  far  off  Bendigo  is, 
Harry?" 

"About  a  hundred  miles.  That  is,  it  is 
seventy-live  miles  to  Mount  Alexander,  and 
the  mines  are  twenty-five  miles  to  the  north  of 
that." 

"It  won't  take  us  long  to  travel  a  hundred 
miles,"  said  Jack  hopefully. 

"On  the  contrary,  it  will  be  a  long  and  diffi- 
cult journey,  as  far  as  I  can  find  out.  The 
country  is  full  of  bogs,  swamps,  and  moist 
land." 

"  Then  we  can't  walk  ?" 

"No;  the  custom  is  to  charter  a  cart, 
drawn  by  oxen,  which  will  give  a  chance  to 
cany  a  stock  of  provisions.  The  roads  are 
not  very  well  marked,  and  are  often  impas- 
sable." 


12  IN    A  NEW   WORLD. 

This  description  rather  discouraged  Jack, 
who  was  more  used  to  the  sea  and  its  dangers 
than  to  land  travel. 

"I  wish  we  could  go  by  water,"  he  said. 

"  So  do  I,  Jack,  but  unfortunately  Bendigo 
happens  to  be  inland.  However,  you've  got 
good  stout  legs,  and  can  get  along  as  well  as 
the  thousands  that  do  go.  Besides,  it  will 
give  us  a  fine  chance  to  see  the  country." 

"  Ye-es,"  said  Jack  doubtfully,  for  he  had 
very  little  of  the  traveller's  curiosity  that 
prompts  so  many  to  visit  strange  lands. 

"There's  another  difficulty  besides  the 
mud,"  continued  Harry  thoughtfully. 

"What's  that?" 

"  The  bushrangers." 

"  Who  are  they  ?  " 

"Haven't'  you  heard  of  them?"  asked 
Harry  in  surprise. 

"I  heard  two  men  speaking  of  them  last 
night,  but  I  didn't  take  much  notice." 

"  They  are  highwaymen — robbers,  who  wan- 
der about  and  attack  parties  of  miners  and 
travellers,  and  unless  successfully  resisted, 
strip  them  of  all  their  property." 


PLANNING  FOB  THE  FUTURE.       13 

"  Are  we  likely  to  meet  them  ?  "  said  Jack 
eagerly. 

"I  hope  not;  but  we  stand  a  chance  of 
doing  so." 

"When  are  we  going  to  start?"  asked 
Jack  with  alacrity. 

"Do  you  want  to  meet  these  gentlemen, 
Jack  ?"  inquired  Harry  with  a  smile. 

"There'll  be  some  fun  about  it,"  responded 
Jack. 

Harry  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"I  don't  think  there'll  be  much  fun  about 
being  robbed,"  he  said.  "I  would  rather 
they  would  give  us  a  wide  berth,  for  my 
part." 

Jack  did  not  answer,  but  from  that  time  he 
was  eager  to  set  out  for  the  mines.  The  hint 
of  danger  invested  the  journey  with  a  charm 
it  had  not  hitherto  possessed  in  his  eyes. 

While  the  boys  were  conversing,  a  tall  man, 
with  heavy  black  whiskers  and  wearing  a 
rough  suit  and  a  slouch  hat,  appeared  to  listen 
attentively.  At  this  point  he  rose  from  his 
seat,  and  lounged  over  to  where  Harry  and 
Jack  were  seated. 


14  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"  Young  gentlemen,"  lie  said,  "  do  I  under- 
stand that  you  are  thinking  of  going  to  the 
mines?" 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Harry,  surveying  his 
inquirer  with  some  attention. 

"And  you  talk  of  going  to  Bendigo  ? " 

"  Yes ;  do  you  know  anything  about  the 
place?" 

"I  ought  to.  I  only  came  from  there  last 
month." 

"What  luck  did  you  have  there,  may  I 
ask?" 

"Pretty  fair.  I  brought  back  about  a  hun- 
dred and  fifty  pounds  in  gold  dust:" 

"  And  how  long  were  you  there?" 

"Four  weeks." 

"That  is  pretty  good  pay  for  the  time." 

"That's  so,  especially  as  I  made  little  or 
nothing  the  first  three  weeks.  I  struck  it  rich 
the  last  week." 

"What  do  you  say  to  that,  Jack?"  said 
Harry,  turning  to  his  companion;  "nearly 
eight  hundred  dollars  in  a  month." 

"  That  pays  better  than  being  a  sailor," 
answered  Jack,  smiling. 


PLANNING  FOR  THE  FUTURE.       15 

"  I  should  say  it  did." 

"When  do  you  expect  to  start?"  asked 
the  stranger. 

"As  soon  as  we  can  get  ready,"  Harry 
replied. 

"You  are  right  there.  Have  you  got 
money  ?  " 

"Why?"  asked  Harry  rather  suspi- 
ciously. 

"  It  will  cost  something  for  an  outfit." 

"  Yes  ;  we  have  a  moderate  sum  with  us." 

"That  is  well,"  said  the  stranger  approv- 
ingly. "Do  you  know,"  he  continued  medi- 
tatively, "I  have  a  great  mind  to  go  with 
you?" 

"Then  you  are  not  satisfied  with  your 
pile? "  said  Harry. 

"There's  very  little  left  of  it,"  said  their 
new  acquaintance. 

"You  haven't  spent  a  hundred  and  fifty 
pounds  in  a  month?  "  said  Harry  in  surprise. 

"  Pretty  much.  I  may  have  twenty  pounds 
left." 

"  You  must  have  been  living  high,  then." 

"No.     I  have  lived  plainl}",  but  the  faro 


16  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

table  lias  taken  most  of  it.  I'm  so  near  broke 
that  I  may  as  well  go  back  to  the  mines  for  a 
fresh  supply  before  my  money  is  all  gone." 

"  We  shall  be  glad  of  your  company,  sir. 
May  I  ask  if  you  are  an  Australian  ?  " 

"I  was  born  in  England,  but  I  have  been 
out  here  half  a  dozen  years." 

"And  have  not  made  your  fortune  yet  ? " 

"  It  is  my  own  fault.  I  have  been  unable  to 
keep  money  after  I  got  it." 

"  We  are  from  America." 

"I  surmised  it,"  said  the  stranger.  "  That 
is  a  country  I  want  to  visit  before  I  die.  You 
have  mines  there,  too.'' 

"  Yes,  but  they  are  a  long  way  from  where 
we  live." 

"My  name  is  Fletcher — Dick  Fletcher  my 
friends  call  me." 

"  I  am  Harry  Vane,  and  my  friend  is  Jack 
Pendleton." 

"  We  will  drink  to  our  better  acquaintance. 
Here,  John,"  addressing  the  barkeeper,  "three 
glasses  of  ale  here." 

"If  you  won't  mind,  Jack  and  I  will  take 
sarsaparilla." 


PLANKING  FOE  THE  FUTUEE.       17 

Fletcher  stared  at  them  in  amazement. 

"  You  don't  drink  ale?  "  he  said. 

"We  belong  to  the  temperance  society," 
said  Harry,  smiling. 

"You  won't  keep  that  up  long  at  the 
mines,"  said  Fletcher,  shrugging  his  shoul- 
ders. 

Harry  did  not  reply,  but  quietly  resolved 
that  he  would  disprove  that  statement. 


CHAPTER  III. 

FLETCHEK  ACTS  SUSPICIOUSLY. 

ONE  circumstance  led  Harry  to  hurry  his 
intended  departure.  He  found  to  his 
dismay  that  the  hotel  charge  for  their  very 
plain  accommodations  was  a  pound  a  day  for 
each  of  them.  The  Crown  inn  was  what  would 
be  called  in  an  American  city  a  one-horse 
hotel.  There  are  plenty  such  to  be  found  in 
the  United  States  where  the  rate  charged  is 
but  a  dollar  a  day.  But  Melbourne  was  full 
of  strangers,  drawn  thither  by  flaming  accounts 
of  the  richness  of  the  mines  and  the  bright 
prospects  of  acquiring  sudden  fortunes,  and 
war  prices  were  prevalent  everywhere. 

"Five  dollars  a  day!"  exclaimed  Jack  in 
open-eyed  amazement.  "Do  they  take  us  for 
millionaires?" 

"I  began  to  think  they  were  imposing 
upon  us,"  said  Harry,  "till  I  made  inquiries 
elsewhere.  I  find  a  pound  a  day  is  about  the 

18 


FLETCHER  ACTS   SUSPICIOUSLY.  19 

usual  tariff  for  such  accommodations  as  we 
have." 

"But  we  have  only  a  small  bedroom,  and 
the  meals  are  very  common." 

"  That  is  true,  but  it  seems  to  make  no  dif- 
ference." 

"  Our  money  will  soon  be  gone  at  that  rate," 
said  Jack  soberly.  "Mine  is  already  gone." 

"No,  it  isn't,  Jack.  We  are  going  to  share 
and  share  alike,  you  know." 

"But  that  is  imposing  on  you,  Harry," 
protested  the  young  sailor  earnestly. 

"Let  me  judge  of  that,  Jack;  I'd  a  good 
deal  rather  have  your  company  and  half  of 
the  money  than  be  alone  and  have  the  whole." 

"  Thank  you,  Harry.  You  are  a  true  friend. 
I  can't  do  much  for  you,  but  I'll  do  what  I 
can." 

"If  I  had  known  of  the  high  prices,  I 
would  have  drawn  more  money  from  the  pro- 
fessor," continued  Harry.  "However,  I  can 
make  this  do.  But  I  want  to  start  to-morrow, 
if  possible.  We  shall  then  be  owing  four  days' 
board  each,  and  that  will  make  forty  dollars." 

At  this  point  Fletcher  joined  them. 


20  IN  A   NEW  WOELD. 

"By  the  way,"  said  lie  nonchalantly,  "I 
want  to  ask  a  little  favor." 

"  What  is  it  ?"  asked  Harry  unsuspiciously. 

"I  am  rather  short  of  money.  Can  you 
lend  me  five  pounds  ?  " 

Jack  looked  at  Harry  in  alarm.  He  was 
afraid  Harry  would  grant  the  favor,  knowing 
his  obliging  disposition.  But  he  didn't  know 
our  hero.  Harry  was  ready  to  do  anything 
for  a  near  friend,  but  he  was  too  prudent  to 
waste  his  money  on  acquaintances  who  had  no 
sort  of  claim  on  him. 

"I  am  sorry  to  refuse,  Mr.  Fletcher,"  he 
said,  "but  Jack  and  I  are  ourselves  very 
poorly  provided  with  money,  and  just  before 
you  came  in  we  were  considering  how  we  could 
manage  to  pay  for  the  necessary  outfit." 

"Haven't  you  got  five  pounds?"  asked 
Fletcher  quickly. 

"  Of  course  we  have,  or  we  should  be  unable 
to  get  to  the  mines." 

"Then  I  think  you  might  oblige  me,"  he 
continued,  looking  very  much  displeased. 

"I  am  the  best  judge  of  my  circumstances," 
said  Harry  shortly. 


FLETCHER  ACTS   SUSPICIOUSLY.  21 

Fletcher  looked  hard  at  him,  and  saw  that 
the  boy  he  had  to  deal  with  had  a  mind  of  his 
own,  and  was  not  to  be  imposed  upon  easily. 
Still  he  made  a  farther  effort. 

"Then  I  think,"  he  said  coldly,  "  I  shall  not 
be  able  to  assist  you  in  your  preparations." 

"Just  as  you  please,"  answered  Harry 
promptly.  "As  you  volunteered,  I  accepted 
your  proposal.  Now  I  will  act  for  myself.  I 
have  heard  of  a  party  about  to  start,  and  I 
will  arrange  to  join  it." 

Fletcher  felt  that  he  was  outgeneralled.  He 
did  not  mean  to  let  Harry  and  Jack  slip 
through  his  fingers,  for  he  had  an  idea,  not- 
withstanding Harry's  disclaimer,  that  he 
had  a  large  sum  of  money,  and  thought  he 
would  be  a  good  party  to  hang  on  to.  lie  saw 
that  he  had  made  a  false  move,  and  hastened 
to  repair  it. 

''Excuse  me,"  he  said,  assuming  a  hearty 
tone;  "  I  was  hasty,  and  I  apologize.  You  are 
right,  and  I  like  you  too  well  to  cut  up  rough, 
just  because  you  can't  do  me  a  favor.  There, 
take  my  hand,  and  we  will  make  it  all  up." 

"With  pleasure,"  answered  Harry,  as  he 


22  IN  A  FEW  WORLD. 

accepted  the  proffered  hand,  and  Jack  fol- 
lowed his  example.  Nevertheless  Fletcher's 
demand  had  produced  an  unpleasant  effect 
•upon  him.  The  coarse-grained  selfishness  of 
the  man  had  shown  through  his  outward  var- 
nish of  good-fellowship,  and  he  felt  that  hence- 
forth he  must  be  on  his  guard. 

"I  may  have  to  ask  for  some  money,  how- 
ever," continued  Fletcher,  in  an  off-hand 
manner,  "for  it  is  necessary  to  buy  supplies 
for  our  journey.  You  know  we  shan't  be  able 
to  put  up  at  hotels  on  our  way,  but  must  fur- 
nish our  own  meals." 

"So  I  have  heard,"  answered  Harry. 
"What  is  it  customary  to  take?" 

"  Well,  it  will  be  best  to  buy  a  bag  of  coffee, 
a.  sack  of  flour,  some  ship  biscuits,  potatoes, 
and  sugar.  That  will  do  to  start  on,  and  we 
shall  vary  our  diet  by  what  we  are  able  to  kill 
on  the  way." 

"  What  can  we  kill?" 

"Well,  kangaroo  meat  isn't  bad,  and  we 
can  bring  down  a  few  birds  occasionally." 

"  Then  we  shall  need  guns  ? " 

"  Yes,  it  will  be  well  to  have  them." 


FLETCHER   ACTS   SUSPICIOUSLY.  23' 

This  was  another  expense  upon  which  Harry 
had  not  calculated.  He  began  to  think  that 
he  had  been  very  improvident.  The  professor 
would  readily  have  left  him  a  hundred  dollars 
more,  and  as  it  would  have  been  repaid  with 
his  own  money,  he  was  sorry  he  had"  not 
availed  himself  of  it. 

"How  much  do  you  think  the  supplies  will 
cost?"  asked  Harry. 

"  Well,  you  had  better  let  me  have  ten 
pounds.  I  think  that  will  be  sufficient." 

"For  the  whole  or  for  our  share?"  asked 
Harry  pointedly. 

"For  your  share,"  answered  Fletcher  after 
a  pause.  "  It  seems  to  me  you  are  very  sus- 
picious." 

Really  he  had  intended  to  make  the  two 
boys  pay  for  the  whole  stock  of  provisions  and 
save  his  own  purse,  for  he  had  in  reality  as 
much  money  as  they. 

"I  only  wanted  to  understand  clearly,"  said 
Harry  quietly.  "  As  we  are  in  some  sort  part- 
ners, that  is  fair,  is  it  not  ?  " 

'•Oh,  yes,"  returned  Fletcher,  but  he  did 
not  respond  with  any  alacrity.  "I'm  always 


24  IX   A   NEW   WORLD. 

fair  and  above  board,  I  am.  No  man  can  say 
that  Dick  Fletcher  ever  tried  to  get  the  best 
of  him.  Why,  if  I  was  better  fixed  I  wouldn't 
let  you  two  boys  pay  a  cent.  I'd  shoulder  the 
whole  thing  myself." 

"Your  offer  is  a  very  kind  one,  Mr. 
Fletcher " 

"Don't  say  Mr.  Fletcher;  call  me  Dick," 
interrupted  their  new  acquaintance. 

"I  will  if  you  wish  it,  though  as  you 
are  so  much  older,  it  hardly  seems  proper. 
What  I  was  going  to  say  was  that  Jack 
and  myself  are  determined  to  pay  our  share. 
We  couldn't  accept  any  such  favor  as  you 
mention." 

"That's  all  right.  Now,  if  you  let  me  have 
the  ten  pounds  I'll  take  all  the  trouble  off  your 
hands,  and  have  everything  ready  for  a  start 
to-morrow  morning." 

"I  would  prefer  to  go  with  you  and  help 
select  the  articles." 

Fletcher  looked  disconcerted. 

"  Oh,  well,  if  you  think  I  aint  capable 

he  began. 

"  I  think  nothing  of  the  kind,  but  I  want  to 


FLETCHER   ACTS   SUSPICIOUSLY.  25 

learn  as  mncli  as  I  can.  I  may  have  to  do  it 
alone  some  time." 

It  was  well  Harry  adhered  to  his  determina- 
tion. It  saved  him  three  pounds,  and  Fletcher 
was  forced  to  pay  his  share,  as  he  had  not 
intended  to  do.  While  they  were  making  pur- 
chases they  were  accosted  by  a  tall  loose- 
jointed  man,  whom  it  was  easy  to  recognize  as 
a  Yankee. 

"  Goin'  to  the  mines,  boys  ?"  he  asked  in  a 
strong  nasal  tone. 

"Yes,"  answered  Harry. 

"  So  am  I.  I'd  like  to  hook  on  to  your 
party  if  you  aint  no  objections." 

For  some  reason  Dick  Fletcher  did  not 
appear  to  relish  the  proposal. 

"I  don't  think  we  can  accommodate  you," 
he  said  abruptly. 

"I  think  we  can,"  said  Harry,  who  was 
beginning  to  be  distrustful  of  Fletcher,  and 
felt  safer  in  adding  another  to  the  party. 
"There  are  but  three  of  us,  and  we  shall  be 
glad  of  your  company." 

Dick  Fletcher  looked  angry,  but  did  not 
venture  to  oppose  the  plan  further. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

A  TIMELY  EESCUE. 

ON  the  last  evening  spent  in  Melbourne 
the  boys  decided  to  take  a  farewell  walk 
about  the  city,  not  knowing  when  it  would 
again  be  their  fortune  to  see  it.  Neither 
Fletcher  nor  their  new  Yankee  acquaintance 
was  at  hand,  and  they  started  by  themselves. 
They  did  not  confine  themselves  to  the  more 
frequented  streets,  but  followed  wherever 
fancy  led. 

They  had  no  thought  of  an  adventure,  but 
one  awaited  them. 

As  they  were  turning  the  corner  of  a  narrow 
street,  their  attention  was  suddenly  excited  by 
a  sharp  cry  of  blended  surprise  and  fright. 

" What  is  it,  Jack?"  asked  Harry,  grasp- 
ing his  companion  by  the  arm. 

He  did  not  need  to  await  a  replj7,  for  by  the 
indistinct  light  he  saw  two  men  struggling  a 
few  rods  further  on.  One  appeared  to  be  an 


A   TIMELY   RESCUE.  27 

old  man,  with  white  hair,  the  other  was  a  man 
of  middle  age.  Clearly  it  was  a  case  of 
attempted  robbery 

"Run,  Jack,  run!"  said  Harry,  in  excite- 
ment. "Let  us  help  the  old  man  !  " 

"I'm  with  you,"  answered  the  young  sailor 
briefly. 

Harry  had  in  his  hand  a  heavy  cane — liis 
only  weapon — but  he  did  not  stop  to  consider 
the  personal  risk  he  was  running.  As  he  drew 
near,  the  old  man,  whose  feeble  strength  was 
quite  unequal  to  a  conflict  with  a  man  so 
much  younger,  swayed  and  fell  backward. 
His  assailant  bent  over  him,  and  despite  his 
feeble  resistance  began  to  search  his  pockets, 
at  the  same  time  indulging  in  savage  threats. 
The  old  man  gave  himself  up  for  lost,  but  help 
was  nearer  than  he  anticipated. 

So  occupied  was  the  villain  with  his  dis- 
graceful work  that  he  did  not  hear  the  ap- 
proaching footsteps. 

His  first  intimation  of  them  came  in  a 
sounding  blow  over  his  shoulders,  given  by 
Harry's  stick,  which  was  laid  on  with  a  good 
will. 


28  IN   A   NEW   WOULD. 

He  jumped  to  liis  feet  with  an  oath,  and 
darted  a  rapid  glance  at  his  two  assailants. 
Then,  much  to  the  surprise  of  Harry,  he 
turned  and  ran  rapidly  away.  It  was  a  piece 
of  great  good  luck,  Harry  thought,  for  he  was 
not  at  all  sure  that  he  and  Jack  combined 
would  have  been  a  match  for  the  highway- 
man. 

"Are  you  hurt,  sir?"  asked  Harry,  bend- 
ing over  the  old  man. 

"Not  seriously,"  was  the  reply.  "Will 
you  kindly  help  me  up  2 " 

With  Jack's  help  Harry  got  the  old  man 
on  his  feet.  He  was  a  tall  man,  of  splendid 
aspect,  over  sixty  years  of  age.  He  looked 
like  a  gentleman  of  wealth  and  position. 

"You  have  had  a  narrow  escape,  sir,"  said 
our  hero. 

"Yes,  indeed,"  answered  the  old  man, 
"thanks  to  your  brave  interference.  It  sur- 
prises me  that  my  brutal  assailant  should 
have  run  away  from  two  boys." 

"I  am  surprised  also,  sir.  I  feared  we 
should  have  a  hard  fight.  I  suppose  his 
object  was  robbery." 


A  TIMELY   RESCUE.  29 

"Yes,  lie  must  have  heard  in  some  way  that 
I  had  a  large  sura  of  money  about  me. 
Thanks  to  you,  it  is  safe." 

"I  am  very  glad,  sir." 

"Do  you  mind  accompanying  me  to  my 
house  ?  This  attack  has  made  me  timid." 

"With  pleasure,  sir." 

The  old  gentleman  lived  perhaps  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  distant  in  a  handsome  house.  He 
pressed  the  boys  to  enter,  and  they  did  so. 
He  questioned  them  as  to  their  plans,  and  then 
selecting  two  bank-notes  of  large  denomina- 
tion, urged  the  boys  to  accept  them  as  a  recog- 
nition of  the  help  they  had  given  him  at  a 
critical  moment.  The  boys,  however,  declined 
positively  to  accept  any  compensation,  but 
expressed  their  satisfaction  at  having  been  of 
service. 

"At  least,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "you 
must  promise  to  call  on  me  when  you  return 
from  the  mines.  There  is  my  card." 

"That  we  will  do  with  pleasure,  sir," 
answered  Harry. 

He  looked  at  the  card,  and  read  the  name  of 
Henry  A.  Woolson. 


30  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"Harry,"  said  Jack,  as  they  resumed  tlieir 
walk,  "  do  you  know  that  robber  had  a  look 
like  Fletcher  ?" 

"So  I  thought,  Jack,  but  I  had  only  a 
glimpse,  and  could  not  be  sure.  I  wish  he 
were  not  to  be  in  our  party." 

"We  must  be  on  our  guard  ;  I  don't  fancy 
him  much." 

When  the  boys  saw  Fletcher  in  the  morning 
he  appeared  as  usual,  and  they  were  disposed 
to  think  they  were  mistaken.  Yet  the  lurk- 
Ing  suspicion  occurred  to  them  from  time  to 
time,  and  made  them  feel  uneasy. 

The  next  day  they  set  out  on  their  journey, 
accomimnied  by  Dick  Fletcher  and  Obed 
Stackpole. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

STAETITsTG  FOK  THE   MINES. 

HARRY  may  be  considered  rash  in  his 
immediate  acceptance  of  his  Yankee 
acquaintance  as  a  member  of  their  party,  but 
there  are  some  men  who  need  no  letters  of 
recommendation.  Obed  Stackpole  certainly 
was  not  a  handsome  man.  He  was  tall,  lean, 
gaunt  in  figure,  with  a  shambling  walk,  and 
his  skin  was  tough  and  leathery  ;  but  in  spite 
of  all  there  was  an  honest,  manly  expression, 
which  instantly  inspired  confidence.  Both 
Harry  and  Jack  liked  him,  but  Dick  Fletcher 
seemed  to  regard  him  with  instinctive  dis- 
like. 

"  What  made  you  accept  that  scarecrow 
into  our  company?"  he  asked,  when  Stack- 
pole  had  left  them  to  make  his  own  arrange- 
ments for  leaving  the  city. 

Harry  smiled. 


32  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"He  isn't  a  handsome  man,"  he  replied, 
"but  I  think  he  will  prove  a  valuable  com- 
panion." 

"You  took  no  notice  of  my  objection  to 
him,"  said  Fletcher,  frowning. 

"  Our  company  was  too  small,"  returned 
Harry.  "  From  inquiry  I  find  that  parties 
seldom  consist  of  less  than  half  a  dozen." 

"I  know  all  about  that,"  said  Fletcher 
impatiently.  "You  might  have  been  guided 
by  me." 

"I  shall  be  to  some  extent,"  answered 
Harry,  "but  not  implicitly." 

"I  am  going  to  have  trouble  with  that 
boy,"  thought  Fletcher.  "Wait  till  we  get 
on  the  road."  Aloud  he  said  :  "If  you  had 
mentioned  the  matter  to  me  I  would  have 
found  someone  to  go  with  us.  You  had 
better  tell  this  Yankee  that  we  haven't  room 
for  him,  and  I  will  do  it  now." 

Fletcher's  persistence  only  aroused  vague 
suspicions  in  Harry's  breast.  He  felt  glad 
that  Stackpole  was  neither  a  friend  nor  likely 
to  prove  a  confederate  of  Dick  Fletcher,  and 
was  resolved  to  hold  on  to  him. 


STARTING   FOR  THE   MINES.  33 

"I  have  invited  him,  and  I  won't  take  back 
the  invitation,"  he  said. 

"How  old  are  you?"  asked  Fletcher 
abruptly. 

"Sixteen." 

"I  should  think  you  were  sixty  by  the 
tone  you  assume,"  said  Fletcher  with  a 
sneer. 

"Do  I  understand,  Mr.  Fletcher,"  asked 
Harry  steadily,  "  that  you  claim  to  control 
our  party  ?" 

"  Seeing  that  I  am  more  than  twice  as  old  as 
you  are,  I  am  the  natural  head  of  the  expedi- 
tion." 

"I  cannot  admit  any  such  claim.  If  you 
are  not  satisfied  to  be  simply  a  member  of  the 
party,  like  the  rest  of  us,  I  shall  not  be 
offended  if  you  back  out  even  now." 

This,  however,  did  not  suit  Fletcher,  and 
with  a  forced  laugh  he  answered,  "You  are 
a  strange  boy,  Vane.  I  suppose  it's  the  way 
with  your  countrymen.  I  don't  want  to  back 
out,  as  you  term  it.  I  fancy  we  shall  get 
along  together." 

"I  wish  he  had  decided  to  leave  us,"  said 


34  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

Harry  when  the  two  boys  were  alone. 
"Somehow  I  distrust  him." 

"  I  don't  like  him  myself,"  said  Jack,  "  but 
I  don't  see  what  harm  he  can  do  us." 

"Nor  I,  but  I  feel  safer  with  this  Yankee 
addition  to  our  party." 

About  ten  o'clock  the  next  morning  the 
little  party  got  off.  It  is  needless  to  say  that 
Obed  Stackpole  contributed  his  full  share  of 
expense,  and  more  too,  for  he  furnished  the 
yoke  of  oxen  that  were  to  draw  the  cart  which 
conveyed  their  provisions  and  other  outfit. 

"I  don't  want  to  push  in -where  I  aint 
wanted,"  he  said,  "  but  I'm  used  to  oxen,  and 
if  you  want  me  to,  I'll  drive  these  critters,  and 
you  three  can  f oiler  along  as  you  please." 

"That'll  suit  me,"  said  Fletcher  with  un- 
usual graciousness.  "I've  no  doubt  you  un- 
derstand the  business  better  than  I  do." 

"  I  ought  to  understand  it,"  said  Stackpole. 
"  I  was  raised  on  a  farm  in  New  Hampshire, 
and  used  to  drive  oxen  when  I  wasn't  tall 
enough  to  see  over  their  backs.  I  never 
thought  then  that  I'd  be  drivin'  a  team  in 
Austral  y." 


STARTING   FOR  THE   MINES.  35 

"  What  led  you  to  come  out  here,  Mr.  Stack- 
pole  ?"  asked  Harry. 

"  Well,  a  kinder  rovin'  disposition,  I  guess. 
A  year  ago  I  was  in  Californy,  but  things 
didn't  pan  out  very  well,  so  when  I  read 
accounts  of  the  gold  fields  out  here,  I  jist 
dropped  my  pick  and  started,  and  here  lam." 

"Didn't  you  find  any  gold-dust  in  Cali- 
fornia \  "  asked  Fletcher,  with  sudden  interest. 

"  Well,  I  found  some,"  answered  the  Yan- 
kee, with  drawling  deliberation,  "but  not 
enough  to  satisfy  me.  You  see,"  he  added, 
"  I've  got  two  to  make  money  for." 

"And  who  are  those  two?  "  inquired  Fletcher. 

"The  first  is  my  old  dad — he'sgettin'  kinder 
broken  down,  and  can't  work  as  well  as  he 
could  when  he  was  a  young  man.  He's  got 
a  thousand-dollar  mortgage  on  his  farm,  and 
I  want  to  pay  that  off.  It  '11  kinder  ease  the 
old  man's  mind." 

"  That  a  very  excellent  object,  Mr.  Stack- 
pole,"  said  Harry,  who  felt  still  more  drawn  to 
his  plain,  ungainly,  but  evidently  good-hearted 
companion. 

"I  think  so  myself,"  said  Obed  simply. 


36  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"The  other  person  is  your  wife,  I  fancy," 
said  Fletcher. 

"I  expect  she  will  be  my  wife  when  I  get 
forehanded  enough,"  replied  Obed.  "It's 
S'ake  Stanwood,  one  of  Farmer  Stanwood's 
gals.  We  was  raised  together,  and  we've 
been  engaged  for  nigh  on  to  five  years." 

"  Very  romantic  !  "  said  Fletcher,  but  there 
was  a  veiled  sneer  in  his  tone,  as  he  scanned 
with  contemptuous  amusement  the  ungainly 
figure  of  his  Yankee  companion. 

"I  don't  know  much  about  such  things," 
said  Obed,  "  but  I  guess  Suke  and  I  will  pull 
together  well." 

"You  are  not  exactly  a  young  man,"  said 
Fletcher.  "You've  waited  some  time." 

"I'm  thirty-nine  last  birthday,"  said  Obed. 
"I  was  engaged  ten  years  ago,  but  the  girl 
didn't  know  her  own  mind,  and  she  ran  off 
with  a  man  that  came  along  with  a  photograph 
saloon.  I  guess  it's  just  as  well,  for  she  was 
always  rather  flighty." 

"  It  is  very  strange  she  should  have  deserted 
a  man  of  your  attractions,"  said  Fletcher  with 
a  smile. 


STAETING  FOE  THE  MINES.  37 

Harry  was  indignant  at  tliis  open  ridicule  of 
so  honest  and  worthy  a  fellow  as  Stackpole, 
and  he  wondered  whether  the  Yankee  would 
be  obtuse  enough  not  to  see  it.  His  doubt 
was  soon  solved. 

"  It  looks  to  me  as  if  you  was  pokin'  fun  at 
me,  Fletcher,"  said  Obed,  with  a  quiet,  steady 
look  at  the  other.  "  I'  m  a  good-natured  fellow 
in  the  main,  but  I  don't  stand  any  nonsense. 
I  know  very  well  I'm  a  rough  looking  chap, 
and  I  don't  mind  your  sayin'  so,  but  I  ainfc 
willin'  to  be  laughed  at." 

"My  dear  fellow,"  said  Fletcher  smoothly, 
"  you  quite  mistake  my  meaning,  I  assure  you. 
I  am  the  last  person  to  laugh  at  you.  I  think 
you  are  too  modest,  though.  You  are  what 
may  be  called  a  '  rough  diamond.'  ' 

"I  accept  your  apology,  Fletcher,"  said 
Obed.  "If  no  offence  was  meant,  none  is 
taken.  I  don't  know  much  about  diamonds, 
rough  or  smooth,  but  at  any  rate  I  aint  a 
paste  one." 

"  A  good  hit !  Bravo  !"  laughed  Fletcher. 
"  You  are  a  man  of  great  penetration,  Stack- 
pole,  and  a  decided  acquisition  to  our  party." 


38  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"I'm  glad  you  think  so,"  said  Obed  dryly. 
"  If  I  remember  right,  you  didn't  want  me  to 
join  you." 

"  At  first  I  did  not,  but  I  have  changed  my 
mind.  I  didn't  know  you  then." 

"And  I  don't  know  you  now"  said  Obed 
bluntly.  "  If  you  don't  mind,  s'pose  you  tell 
us  what  brought  you  out  here." 

Fletcher  frowned  and  regarded  the  Yankee 
suspiciously,  as  if  seeking  his  motive  in  ask- 
ing this  question,  but  his  suspicions  were  dis- 
sipated by  a  glance  at  that  honest  face,  and 
lie  answered  lightly,  "Really,  there  isn't 
much  to  tell.  My  father  was  a  merchant  of 
Manchester,  and  tried  to  make  me  follow  in 
Ms  steps,  but  I  was  inclined  to  be  wild, 
incurred  some  debts,  and  finally  threw  up 
business  and  came  out  here." 

"Have  you  prospered  as  far  as  you've 
gone?" 

"Yes  and  no.  I've  made  money  and  I've 
spent  it,  and  the  accounts  are  about  even." 

"  That  means  you  haven't  much  left." 

"  Right  you  are,  my  friend,  but  in  your 
steady  company  I  mean  to  turn  over  a  new 


STARTING  FOR  THE   MINES.  39 

leaf,  and  go  in  for  money  and  respectability. 
Now  I've  made  a  clean  breast  of  it,  and  yon 
know  all  about  me." 

In  spite  of  this  statement  there  was  not  one 
of  his  three  companions  who  did  not  feel  sure 
that  there  was  much  in  Fletcher's  history 
which  he  had  kept  concealed,  and  possibly  for 
very  good  reasons. 


CHAPTER  VL 

A   NIGHT   INCIDENT. 

THE  path  of  a  gold-seeker  in  Australia  was 
beset  with  difficulties.  The  country 
about  Melbourne,  and  far  inland,  was  boggy, 
the  soil  being  volcanic,  and  abounding  in  mud 
which  appears  to  have  no  bottom.  The  road 
to  the  mines  was  all  the  worse  for  having  been 
ploughed  up  by  bullock  teams,  and  worked 
into  a  slough  which  proved  the  discouragement 
of  mining  parties.  Some  were  even  months 
in  traversing  the  comparatively  small  distance 
across  the  country  to  the  goal  they  sought. 
But  the  attraction  of  money,  which  is  said  to 
make  the  mare  go,  enabled  them  to  triumph 
at  last  over  the  obstacles  that  intervened. 
It  was  not  long  before  our  party  began  to 
understand  the  nature  of  the  task  they  had 
undertaken.  The  cart  sank  up  to  the  hubs  in 
a  bog,  and  the  oxen  stood  still  in  patient 
despair. 


A   NIGHT   INCIDENT.  41 

"Well,  if  this  don't  beat  all  creation!" 
ejaculated  Obed.  "I've  been  in  the  Western 
States,  and  I  thought  I  knew  something  about 
mud,  but  Austral y's  ahead.  I  say,  Fletcher, 
is  there  much  of  this  that  we've  got  to 
go  through  ? " 

"Mud's  the  rule,  and  dry  land  the  excep- 
tion," answered  Fletcher  coolly. 

"  Well,  that's  comfortin'l  "  remarked  Stack- 
pole,  drawing  a  deep  breath.  "I  s'pose  peo- 
ple do  get  through  after  a  while." 

"Yes,  generally.  I  was  six  weeks  getting 
to  the  Ovens  once." 

"I  wish  we  had  some  ovens  to  bake  this 
mud,"  said  Obed,  with  a  grim  smile  at  his 
joke.  "It  would  take  a  powerful  large  one." 

There  was  nothing  for  it  but  dogged  perse- 
verance. It  took  an  hour  to  get  the  oxen  and 
cart  through  a  bog  a  hundred  feet  across,  and 
the  appearance  of  the  party,  when  they  finally 
reached  the  other  side,  was  more  picturesque 
than  attractive. 

"  How  would  Clinton  get  along  here  ?  "  sug- 
gested Harry.  "I  can  imagine  the  poor  fel- 
low's despair." 


42  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"His  trousers  would  suffer  some,"  said  Jack. 
"  I  think  it  would  break  his  heart.  The  sea  is 
much  nicer.  If  we  could  only  go  by  water," 
and  the  young  sailor  looked  down  at  his  mud- 
bedraggled  clothes,  and  his  shoes  caked  thickly 
over  with  the  tenacious  mud. 

"  Yes,  the  sea  would  be  cleaner  at  any  rate. 
I  agree  with  you  there,  Jack." 

Arrived  on  the  other  side  of  the  bog,  they 
were  obliged  to  give  the  tired  cattle  a  rest. 
Indeed,  they  needed  rest  themselves. 

At  the  end  of  the  day  they  made  an  encamp- 
ment. As  well  as  they  could  judge,  they  were 
about  eight  miles  from  Melbourne. 

"  Eight  miles;  and  how  far  is  the  whole  dis- 
tance ? ' '  asked  Harry. 

"About  a  hundred  miles,"  answered 
Fletcher. 

"At  this  rate,  we  can  go  through  in  twelve 
or  thirteen  days,  then." 

"You  mustn't  expect  this  rate  of  speed," 
said  Fletcher.  ' '  We  shan'  t  average  over  five 
miles." 

"Well,  I  hope  we'll  get  paid  for  it,"  said 
Obed.  "If  we  don't  I'd  better  have  stayed  in 


A   NIGHT   INCIDENT.  43 

Calif orny.  We  haven't  any  such  mines  as 
this  in  that  country." 

"You'd  better  have  stayed  there,"  said 
Fletcher  dryly,  and  he  evidently  wished  that 
his  companion  had  done  so. 

u' Variety's  the  spice  of  life,'  as  my  old 
schoolmaster  used  to  say,"  responded  Obed. 
"I  kinder  want  to  see  what  Austral y  is  like. 
All  the  same  I  don't  want  to  stump  through  to 
the  other  side  of  the  globe." 

The  travellers  encamped  for  the  night  in  a 
dry  spot  among  a  group  of  gum-trees,  and  it 
may  readily  be  believed  that  all  slept  well. 
The  boys  felt  dead  tired,  and  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty they  were  awakened  in  the  morning. 

About  five  o'clock  Fletcher  opened  his  eyes. 
He  was  one  who  slept  fast,  so  to  speak,  and 
obtained  as  much  refreshment  from  an  hour's 
sleep  as  most  people  do  from  a  period  twice 
as  long.  He  had  been  lying  on  the  ground 
wrapped  in  a  blanket,  as  was  the  case  with 
the  other  members  of  the  party. 

Raising  himself,  and  leaning  on  his  elbow, 
he  saw  that  they  were  all  fast  asleep.  He 
nodded  with  satisfaction,  and  getting  on  his 


44  IN   A  NEW   WORLD. 

feet  he  approached  Obed  Stackpole  with  noise- 
less tread.  The  Yankee  was  sleeping  with  his 
mouth  wide  open,  occasionally  emitting  a 
sonorous  snore  through  his  aquiline  nose. 
He  was  not  beautiful  to  look  upon,  as  Fletcher 
evidently  thought. 

"Ill-favored  brute  !"  he  ejaculated.  "I'd 
like  to  choke  him  !  " 

If  any  special  advantage  had  been  likely 
to  accrue  to  him,  Fletcher's  conscience  Avould 
not  have  been  likely  to  stand  in  the  way  of 
violence  ;  but  his  purpose  now  was  different. 

"The  fellow  must  have  gold  about  him," 
muttered  Fletcher.  "I  wonder  whether  I  can 
get  at  it  without  waking  him  up." 

Obed  seemed  to  be  in  a  profound  slumber, 
but  it  was  a  peculiarity  of  our  Yankee  friend 
to  wake  at  the  least  touch.  This,  of  course, 
was  not  known  to  Dick  Fletcher,  who  felt  that 
there  would  be  no  risk  in  a  careful  explora- 
tion of  Obed' s  pockets. 

He  thrust  his  hand  into  one  of  the  Yankee's 
pockets  with  the  practiced  skill  of  a  pick- 
pocket, when  an  entirely  unexpected  result 
followed. 


A   NIGHT   INCIDENT.  45 

"  Why,  you  skunk,  what  in  creation  are  you 
about?"  exclaimed  Obed,  suddenly  seizing- 
Fletcher  by  the  throat. 

"Let  me  go!"  said  Fletcher,  struggling 
violently,  but  ineffectually,  to  free  himself. 

"Not  till  you've  told  me  what  you  are 
after." 

"Let  go,  and  I'll  tell  you." 

Obed  loosened  his  grip,  saying  sternly,  "Are 
you  a  pickpocket,  my  enterprising  friend,  or 
what  is  the  meaning  of  all  this  business  ?  " 

"You  had  better  not  insult  me!"  said 
Fletcher  angrily.  "I'm  no  more  a  pick- 
pocket than  you  are." 

"Then  what  is  the  meaning  of  your  little 
game?  Maybe  you  got  up  in  your  sleep." 

"No,  I  didn't.  I  just  waked  up,  and 
thought  I'd  like  to  have  a  smoke,  but  had 
no  matches.  I  thought  you  might  have  some 
in  your  pocket." 

"Why  didn't  you  wake  me  up  and  ask 
me?" 

"You  looked  so  comfortable,  and  I  thought 
you  needed  rest  after  a  hard  day's  work,  so  I 
decided  to  help  myself." 


46  IN   A   NEW    WORLD. 

"It  looks  like  it,"  responded  Obed  dryly. 
"  So  that's  all  you  were  after,  was  it  ?  " 

"Of  course,"  said  Fletcher,  regaining  con- 
fidence. "  What  else  could  it  be  ? " 

"Well,  it  strikes  me  it's  rather  takin' a 
liberty  with  a  gentleman  to  search  his  pockets 
while  he's  asleep,  that's  all !  In  Calif orny, 
Fletcher,  if  you  had  been  caught  doin'  it,  ten 
chances  to  one  you'd  have  been  lynched,  and 
lynchin'  isn't  usually  regarded  as  comfortable 
or  desirable.  Where's  your  cigar  ? " 

"I  haven't  any,  but  I've  got  a  pipe." 

"Well,  I  do  happen  to  have  a  few  matches 
in  my  other  pocket,  but  I'd  rather  you'd  ask 
for  'em  next  time." 

"I  will.  The  fact  is,  I  ought  to  have 
brought  some  with  me.  It's  very  strange,  old 
traveller  as  I  am." 

"It  would  have  been  a  little  better  than 
borrowin'  them  of  a  sleepin'  man  without 
leave.  Don't  do  it  again,  Fletcher." 

"I'm  not  very  likely  to  borrow  them  of 
you  again,  except  when  you're  awake,"  said 
Fetcher with  a  short  laugh.  "Do  you  always 
wake  up  so  easy  \  "  lie  asked,  in  some  curiosity. 


A   NIGHT   INCIDENT.  47 

"Always.  I  sleep  mighty  sound,  but  the 
least  touch  wakes  me  up." 

"  I  shall  remember  that,"  thought  Fletcher. 
"This  Yankee  is  rather  a  dangerous  man  to 
tackle.  I  won't  attempt  it  again  unless  I  have 
the  decided  advantage." 

"I  hope  you'll  excuse  me,  Mr.  Stackpole," 
he  said  aloud  in  a  smooth  tone.  "  I  used  to 
travel  with  a  friend— a  great  chum  of  mine — 
and  we  never  stood  on  ceremony  with  each 
other.  I  ought  to  have  remembered  that  you 
and  I  are  comparatively  new  acquaintances." 

"Perhaps  it  will  be  best,"  said  Obed  dryly. 
"You  see  when  I  wake  up  I  don't  always 
have  my  wits  about  me,  and  I  might  cut  up 
rough  before  I  had  time  to  think." 

"Oh,  no  apologies,  I  beg,"  said  Fletcher, 
waving  his  hand. 

"Who's  apologizin'?"  demanded  Obed,  in 
surprise. 

"  Never  mind,  it's  all  right !  I  thought  you 
were  apologizing  for  seizing  me  by  the  throat. 
As  you  say,  you  waked  up  suddenly,  and 
didn't  have  your  wits  about  you." 

"Well,  I  know!"  ejaculated  Obed  half  to 


48  IN  A   NEW   WOELD. 

himself.     "I  didn't  think  of  that  way  of  put- 
tin'  it.     You're  a  cute  fellow,  Fletcher." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Stackpole.  Now  I  will 
have  my  smoke;"  and  Fletcher,  though  he 
did  not  care  for  it,  by  way  of  removing  any 
lingering  suspicion,  lit  his  pipe  and  puffed 
away  with  apparent  pleasure. 


CHAPTER   VII. 

PARTING   COMPANY. 


I 


Obed  to  Harry  Vane  the  next  day,  tak- 
ing the  opportunity  when,  at  one  of  their 
rests,  the  man  referred  to  had  sauntered  into 
the  woods. 

"I  don't  like  him  myself,"  said  Harry. 
"  Have  you  any  particular  reason  for  mis- 
trusting him  ? " 

"He  was  searchin'  my  pockets  last  night 
when  he  thought  I  was  asleep,"  answered 
Obed,  and  he  related  the  incident  of  the  night 
before. 

"It  looks  suspicious,"  said  Harry.  "I 
have  not  much  money,  but  I  don't  care  to 
lose  what  I  have." 

"I  should  like  to  shake  him,  but  I  don't  see 
how  we  can  very  .well.  He's  a  reg'lar  member 
of  the  party." 

"  We  can  be  on  our  guard  at  any  rate,"  said 

4  49 


50  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

Harry.  "I'll  tell  Jack,  and  advise  him  to  be 
careful  also." 

At  tliis  point  Dick  Fletclier  returned.  He 
looked  suspiciously  from  one  to  the  other, 
under  the  impression  that  something  had  been 
said  about  him.  He  asked  no  questions,  how- 
ever, and  no  information  was  volunteered. 
He  could  not  but  observe,  however,  that  there 
was  more  or  less  restraint  in  the  manner  of  his 
companions  toward  him,  and  that  they  were 
not  disposed  to  be  social. 

That  day  they  made  nine  miles,  the  road 
being  slightly  better  than  the  day  before. 
About  five  o'clock  they  reached  a  rude  way- 
side inn,  over  the  door  of  which  was  a  swing- 
ing sign,  on  which  was  printed  : 


TRAVELLERS' 

REST. 

"We  might  as  well  stop  here,  instead  of 
camping  out,"  said  Fletcher. 

"I'm  agreeable,"  said  Obed,  "if  the  tax 
isn't  too  high." 

"  Oh,  Linton  is  moderate  in  his  charges," 


PARTING   COMPANY.  51 

said  Fletcher.  ' '  I've  known  him  a  good  while. 
He's  a  good  fellow." 

This  was  not  a  very  valuable  recommendation 
in  the  opinion  of  Obed  and  the  two  boys,  but 
they  had  no  objection  to  becoming  guests  of 
the  establishment. 

It  was  a  rude  building,  and  the  accommoda- 
tions were  very  limited.  In  fact,  there  were 
but  two  sleeping  rooms.  One  of  these  Fletcher 
occupied,  and  the  other  was  given  up  to  the 
other  members  of  the  party,  there  being  two 
beds. 

"I'd  rather  bunk  in  with  you,  if  you  don't 
mind,"  said  Stackpole  to  Harry.  "I  don't 
feel  easy  in  the  same  room  with  Fletcher." 

"  We  shall  be  very  glad  of  your  company, 
Mr.  Stackpole." 

"  If  I  snore,  just  come  and  turn  me  over.  I 
don't  want  to  disturb  nobody." 

"I  think  Jack  and  I  will  be  too  sound 
asleep  to  be  disturbed  by  your  snoring,"  said 
Harry  with  a  laugh.  "However,  if  there  is 
any  occasion,  I  will  follow  your  directions." 

The  landlord  was  a  broad-shouldered  man 
of  moderate  stature,  who  had  lost  the  sight  of 


52  IN   A   NEW    WORLD." 

one  eye.  The  other,  being  covered  with  a 
green  shade,  gave  him  an  ill  look.  His  man- 
ner, however,  was  hearty,  and  showed  a  bluff, 
off-hand  cordiality,  as  he  welcomed  the  party 
to  the  hospitalities  of  the  Travellers'  Rest. 
He  was  familiarly  called  "Larry,"  by  Fletcher, 
who  greeted  him  like  an  old  comrade. 

The  supper  consisted  in  part  of  their  own 
supplies,  with  some  small  additions  from  the 
larder  of  the  inn.  It  was,  at  any  rate,  an 
improvement  upon  their  camp  fare,  and  the 
boys  enjoyed  it. 

After  supper  they  sat  down  on  a  settle  in 
front  of  the  inn,  but  presently  Fletcher  strayed 
away  into  the  woods  at  the  back  of  the  house. 
Some  fifteen  minutes  later  Larry  Linton  also 
got  up,  but  ostentatiously  went  in  a  different 
direction. 

"I'm  going  a  little  ways  to  a  squatter's  to 
speak  about  some  vegetables,"  he  said. 

"If  you  don't  mind  company,  I'll  go  along 
too,"  said  Obed. 

"  Better  not,"  answered  Larry.  "  There's  a 
boggy  spot  which  a  stranger  is  likely  to  fall 
into." 


PARTING   COMPANY.  53 

"I've  had  enough  of  bogs,"  said  Obed, 
shrugging  his  shoulders.  "Seems  to  me  you 
haven't  got  much  besides  bogs  out  in  Aus- 
tral y." 

So  Linton  went  off  by  himself.  After  he 
was  fairly  out  of  the  way,  Obed  said,  turning 
to  the  two  boys.  "  Did  you  think  I  wanted 
to  go  off  with  Linton  ?  " 

"  I  supposed  so,  as  you  made  the  proposal." 

"  I  only  wanted  to  find  out  if  he  wanted  me 
or  not.  I  have  my  suspicions." 

"  What  kind  of  suspicions?" 

Harry  was  the  speaker,  as  usual,  for  Jack 
never  took  the  lead  when  Harry  was  present. 

"  Fletcher  and  Linton  are  too  thick  together 
to  suit  me,"  answered  the  Yankee.  "Looks 
as  if  they  was  in  league  together." 

"  Do  you  think  they  have  arranged  a  meet- 
ing ?" 

"That's  just  what  I  do  think." 

"But  they  have  gone  in  different  direc- 
tions," objected  Jack. 

"Bless  your  simple  heart,  my  boy,  that's 
done  on  purpose,"  said  Obed.  "Can't  they 
fetch  round  together  without  our  knowing  it? " 


64  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

"I  didn't  think  of  that,"  Jack  admitted. 

"Mr.  Stackpole,"  said  Harry  after  a 
moment's  thought,  "if  you  and  Jack  will 
keep  each  other  company,  I  will  explore  a 
little  myself.  I  may  happen  to  be  at  the  con- 
ference." 

"Be  careful  if  you  do,  Harry,"  said  Obed. 
"  Don't  run  no  risk." 

"I'll  look  out  for  that." 

In  the  rear  of  the  house,  and  almost  reach- 
ing to  it,  was  a  forest  of  eucalyptus  trees.  It 
was  unfavorable  to  Harry's  purpose  that  these 
trees  rise  straight  from  the  ground,  and  are 
not  encumbered  by  underbrush.  It  was  very 
pleasant  walking  though,  and  Harry  saun- 
tered along  at  his  leisure.  He  almost  forgot 
the  object  of  his  enterprise,  until  some  half  an 
hour  later,  in  the  stillness  of  the  woods,  his 
quick  ear  caught  the  sound  of  voices. 

He  was  instantly  on  the  alert.  The  voices, 
he  doubted  not,  were  those  of  Dick  Fletcher 
and  Larry  Linton.  He  moved  forward  cau- 
tiously, and  soon  espied  the  speakers.  They 
were  sitting  on  the  ground,  under  the  over- 
reaching boughs  of  a  gigantic  tree.  Harry 


PARTING   COMPANY.  65 

managed  to  get  near  enough  to  listen  to  the 
conversation,  being  himself  concealed  from 
view  behind  the  trunk  of  a  neighboring  tree. 

"Is  there  much  money  in  the  party?"  he 
heard  Linton  ask. 

"I  can't  tell  you.  The  boys  haven't  got 
much,  but  that  long-legged  Yankee  has  prob- 
ably got  considerable." 

"  What  sort  of  a  man  is  he  ? " 

"He's  likely  to  prove  a  troublesome  cus- 
tomer. He  is  muscular,  as  you  can  see,  and 
not  easily  scared." 

"  Has  he  any  suspicion  of  you  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  I  put  my  foot  in  it  the  other  night." 

"How's  that?" 

"I  saw  him  sleeping  like  a  boy,  and  thought 
there  was  no  danger  of  his  waking  up,  so  I 
took  the  liberty  to  explore  his  pockets. 
Before  I  could  say  Jack  Robinson  he  had  me 
by  the  throat,  and  wanted  to  know  what  I  was 
after." 

"  That  was  awkward.  How  did  you  get  out 
of  it?" 

"  Lied  out !  Told  him  I  was  looking  for 
matches,  as  I  wanted  a  smoke." 


56  ITT   A   NEW   WOULD. 

"  Did  he  swallow  it  down  ? " 

"He  didn't  contradict  me,  but  it  has  made 
him.  watchful  and  suspicious.  If  I'd  got  the 
money,  I  was  ready  to  make  tracks,  and  leave 
them  to  find  their  way  as  they  could." 

At  this  point  the  two  rose  and  walked  away, 
leaving  Harry  in  his  position  behind  the  tree. 
As  soon  as  he  thought  it  was  safe  he  came  out, 
and  made  the  best  of  his  way  to  the  inn,  get- 
ting there  about  fifteen  minutes  before  Fletcher 
appeared,  but  without  the  landlord.  During 
that  interval  he  had  time  to  communicate 
what  he  had  heard  to  Obed  Stackpole. 

"Just  what  I  expected!"  said  Obed. 
"The  treacherous  skunk !  So  he's  in  league 
with  the  landlord,  is  he  ?  I'll  fix  him." 

He  cautioned  the  two  boys  not  to  show  by 
their  manner  that  they  had  made  any  dis- 
covery, but  to  appear  as  usual. 

The  next  morning  the  party  started  as 
usual.  They  plodded  on  for  almost  a  mile, 
when  Obed,  turning  quickly  to  Fletcher,  said  : 

"  Let  me  look  at  that  weapon  of  yours  a 
minute." 

Fletcher  unsuspiciously  handed  it  over. 


PARTING   COMPANY.  57 

"I  think  I  shall  keep  this,  Fletcher,"  said 
Obed,  eying  him  steadily.  "I'm  pained  to 
have  to  bid  you  good- by." 

"What  does  all  this  mean?"  blustered 
Fletcher. 

"It  means  that  your  room  is  better  than 
your  company.  We'd  better  part." 

"Would  you  rob  me?  That  revolver  is 
mine,  and  I  paid  for  a  share  of  the  things 
in  the  cart." 

"I'll  allow  you  the  vally  of  them  and  pay 
you  on  the  spot,  but  we  can't  go  on  together." 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  Mr.  Stack- 
pole  handed  over  a  handsome  sum  of  money. 

"But  I  don't  want  to  sell  my  revolver," 
repeated  Fletcher.  "What  am  I  to  do  out 
here  alone,  and  unarmed." 

"  You'd  better  go  back  to  your  friend  Larry 
Linton.  He'll  look  out  for  you." 

"You  will  regret  this  high-handed  proceed- 
ing !  "  exclaimed  Fletcher  angrily. 

"Maybe  I  shall,  and  maybe  I  shan't," 
answered  Obed  indifferently.  "I'll  risk  it." 

Fletcher  halted  a  moment  as  if  undecided, 
then  turned  back,  and  was  soon  out  of  sight. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

A  VICTIM  OF  TREACHERY. 

A  LL  the  party  felt  relieved  to  be  rid  of 
-LA.  Fletcher.  Without  being  able  to  prove 
anything  against  him,  all  believed  him  to  be 
unworthy  of  confidence.  Now  they  were  a 
united  party,  and  whatever  might  be  the  hard- 
ships of  the  trip  they  were  ready  to  sympa- 
thize and  co-operate  with  each  other. 

They  had  already  learned  that  it  was  no 
holiday  trip  they  had  undertaken.  The  bogs 
have  already  been  referred  to.  In  addition 
the  heat  was  oppressive  in  the  middle  of  the 
day.  Then  the  numerous  insects  that  infest 
Australia — the  ants,  Hies,  and  scorpions— were 
most  troublesome.  They  had  to  be  very  care- 
ful to  avoid  being  bitten,  for  the  bite  of  any 
these  is  severe  and  dangerous.  On  the  day 
succeeding  their  parting  from  Fletcher  they 
accomplished  but  six  miles,  the  road  being  un- 
usually swampy. 


A   VICTIM    OF   TREACHERY.  59 

"I  feel  about  tuckered  out,"  said  Obed, 
about  the  middle  of  the  afternoon,  just  after 
he  had  extricated  the  team,  by  great  personal 
effort,,  from  a  morass.  "If  I'd  'a'  known  as 
much  of  the  country  before  star  tin'  I  wouldn't 
have  started  at  all." 

"  It's  a  long  road  that  has  no  ending,"  said 
Harry,  smiling.  He,  too,  was  very  tired,  but 
youth  is  hopeful. 

"It's  the  worst  country  I  ever  travelled  in, 
by  a  long  shot.  If  I  ever  make  my  pile,  I'll 
take  the  first  steamer  back  to  Frisco." 

"  Who's  that?  "  suddenly  exclaimed  Jack. 

Obed  and  Harry,  looking  up,  saw  a  forlorn- 
looking  figure  approaching  them.  It  was  a 
man  of  middle  age,  and  emaciated  in  appear- 
ance, looking  the  image  of  despair.  He  tottered 
rather  than  walked,  from  exceeding  weakness. 

"For  Heaven's  sake  give  me  something  to 
eat !  I  am  almost  famished,"  he  cried. 

"Why,  certainly,  friend,"  answered  Obed, 
rising  and  advancing  to  meet  the  stranger. 
"  We  don't  keep  a  first-class  hotel,  but  you're 
welcome  to  what  we'  ve  got.  Are  you  travellin' 
alone?" 


60  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"Yes,  if  you  call  it  travelling.  I've  been 
dragging  myself  along  for  several  days,  hop- 
ing to  find  somebody  that  would  give  me  aid." 

"Well,  you've  found  somebody.  Here,  sit 
down,  for  you  don't  seem  able  to  stand,  and 
we'll  provide  for  you.  Harry,  bring  some 
biscuit  and  cold  meat,  won't  you,  and  Jack 
had  better  build  a  fire.  A  cup  of  tea  will  put 
new  life  into  you,  my  friend." 

The  biscuit  were  soaked  in  water  and  given 
to  the  stranger.  He  devoured  them  like  a 
man  in  the  last  stages  of  hunger. 

"  Go  slow,  my  friend.  Your  stomach  must 
be  weak,"  said  Obed. 

"If  you  only  knew  the  gnawing  at  my 
vitals,"  said  the  new-comer.  "I  have  not 
tasted  food  for  three  days." 

"  I  never  was  in  that  fix,  though  I  did  go 
hungry  for  twenty-four  hours  once  in  Cali- 
forny.  You'd  better  believe  I  pitched  in 
when  I  got  to  where  victuals  were." 

"How  did  that  happen,  Mr.  Stackpole?" 
asked  Harry. 

"I  was  lost  in  the  mountains,"  answered 
Obedj  "  and  couldn't  find  any  trace  of  a  livin' 


A   VICTIM   OF   TREACHERY.  61 

creature  except  an  old  miser,  who  pointed  a 
musket  at  me,  and  didn't  dare  to  let  me  into 
his  hut.  I  don't  think  I  could  have  stood  it 
three  days." 

"That  goes  to  the  right  spot,"  said  the 
stranger,  after  he  had  gulped  down  two  cups 
of  tea.  "  Now  I'm  ready  to  die  without  com- 
plaining." 

"If  it's  all  the  same  to  you,  I  think  you'd 
better  get  ready  to  live,"  said  Obed. 

"I'd  rather  die  now  than  suffer  as  I  have 
done  in  the  last  three  days," 

"You  won't  have  to.  We've  got  plenty 
and  to  spare." 

"  But  I  have  no  money.  I  have  been  robbed 
of  everything." 

"Robbed!     How  is  that?" 

"It's  rather  a  long  story.  You  may  not 
have  patience  to  hear  it." 

"We've  got  time  enough,  and  patience 
enough,  but  perhaps  you  don't  feel  strong 
enough  to  talk." 

"I  didn't  before  you  relieved  my  hunger. 
The  food  and  the  tea  have  put  new  life  into 
me,  as  you  predicted  they  would." 


62  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

"Then  go  aliead,  stranger.  We're  all  anx- 
ious to  hear  your  story." 

"I  am  an  Englishman,"  began  the  un- 
known, "and  my  name  is  Ralph  Granger. 
When  the  report  reached  England  of  the  rich- 
ness of  the  Australian  gold-fields,  I  sold  out 
my  business,  and  was  among  the  first  to  come 
out  here.  By  the  sale  of  my  business  I 
realized  about  five  hundred  pounds.  Three 
hundred  I  left  with  my  wife — I  have  no  chil- 
dren— to  keep  her  while  I  was  gone.  It  is 
very  fortunate  that  I  took  this  precaution  and 
left  her  so  well  provided  for,  since  had  I 
brought  all  my  money  with  me,  it  would  all 
have  been  lost." 

The  three  adventurers  looked  at  each  other 
soberly.  The  ill  fortune  of  their  new  acquaint- 
ance did  not  augur  very  well  for  their  good 
fortune. 

"Then  you  had  bad  luck,"  said  Harry  in- 
quiringly. 

"On  the  contrary  I  had  good  luck,"  replied 
the  stranger. 

"Good  luck!"  repeated  Harry  in  surprise. 
"Then  how " 


A   VICTIM   OF  TREACHERY.  63 

"How  did  I  come  into  this  plight  ?  That  is 
what  you  were  about  to  ask?  " 

"Yes." 

"You  will  soon  learn.  On  reaching  this 
country  I  was  in  doubt  whether  to  go  to  Bal- 
larat  or  Bendigo,  but  finally  decided  upon  the 
latter." 

"  We  are  bound  for  Bendigo,"  said  Jack. 

"  So  I  inferred.  Ballarat  is  in  a  different 
direction.  Very  well,  I  reached  Bendigo  three 
months  since.  For  a  time  I  was  unlucky.  I 
found  next  to  no  gold,  and  the  prices  of  living 
used  up  about  all  the  money  I  had  left  after 
the  expense  of  getting  there.  Just  when  I  was 
on  the  point  of  giving  up  in  despair  my  luck 
turned.  I  made  a  strike,  and  during  the  next 
six  weeks  I  unearthed  gold  to  the  value  of  a 
thousand  pounds." 

"  That  certainly  wasn't  bad  luck." 

"It  was  extraordinarily  good  luck,  and 
naturally  drew  the  attention  of  the  rest  of  the 
camp.  This  was  unfortunate,  for  in  snch  a 
settlement,  as  may  well  be  supposed,  there  are 
many  reckless  adventurers,  ex-convicts,  and 
men  utterly  destitute  of  principle." 


64  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"  Then  you  were  robbed  at  the  camp  ?  " 

"  Not  then  nor  there.  I  took  the  precaution 
to  send  the  greater  part  of  my  money  to  Mel- 
bourne by  experts.  Destitute  and  lost,  I  have 
six  hundred  pounds  in  Melbourne  awaiting  my 
arrival,  but  for  all  that,  I  should  probably  have 
starved  to  death  but  for  my  opportune  meeting 
with  you." 

"Come,  then,  you've  got  something  to  live 
for,  after  all,"  said  Obed. 

"Yes,  you  are  right.  Let  me  once  get  to 
Melbourne  and  I  am  all  right.  I  shall  buy  a 
passage  ticket  to  Liverpool,  and  carry  with  me 
the  balance  of  my  money.  With  all  that  I 
have  lost  I  shall  go  home  richer  than  I  came." 

"  But  how  did  you  lose  your  money  ? "  asked 
Jack,  who  was  eager  to  have  his  curiosity 
gratified. 

"  When  I  got  ready  to  leave  the  gold-fields, 
there  was  no  party  which  I  could  join.  I  did 
not  like  to  go  alone.  In  this  emergency  a  man 
who  had  been  working  an  adjoining  claim 
offered  to  go  with  me.  He  professed  to  have 
been  fortunate,  and  to  be  ready  to  go  back  to 
the  city.  I  saw  no  reason  to  distrust  him,  and 


A   VICTIM   OF  TREACHERY.  65 

accepted  his  proposal.  We  bought  each  a 
liorse,  made  other  preparations,  and  set  out 
together.  He  won  upon  my  confidence,  and  I 
told  him  everything.  He  was  very  comfort- 
ably fixed  himself,  he  told  me,  and  was  glad 
he  had  fallen  in  with  me,  as  he  had  been  afraid 
of  being  robbed  on  the  journey.  All  went 
pleasantly  for  three  days,  but  on  the  morning 
of  the  fourth  day  when  I  awoke  I  found  myself 
alone.  A  little  startled,  I  felt  for  my  gold, 
which  I  carried  in  a  belt  around  my  waist.  It 
was  gone,  and  so  was  my  horse.  Of  course 
you  guess  how  it  happened.  My  companion 
had  robbed  me  during  the  night,  and  left  me 
in  the  woods  utterly  destitute." 

"  What  was  the  name  of  your  companion  ? " 
asked  Obed  quickly. 

"  He  called  himself  Fletcher." 

"  I  thought  so  !  "  exclaimed  Obed,  slapping 
his  leg  with  emphasis.  "We  know  the  gen- 
tleman a  little  ourselves." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

A  DISAGREEABLE  SURPRISE. 


have  not  met  '1>ick  Fletclier  •  "  sai(i 

JL     Ralph  Granger  in  surprise. 

"Yes,  we  only  parted  from  him  this  morn- 
ing." 

"Did  he  rob  you?" 

"No,  but  he  tried  to." 

Here  Obed  gave  an  account  of  Fletcher's 
searching  his  pockets  during  the  night. 

"He  thought  I  was  sound  asleep,"  he  con- 
tinued, "and  so  I  was,  but  it  doesn't  take 
much  to  wake  me.  When  I  gripped  his 
throat,  he  concluded  he'd  tackled  the  wrong 
man." 

"  Did  you  part  company  with  him  then  1  " 

"No;  he  pretended  he  had  been  in  search 
of  matches,  and  I  pretended  to  believe  it, 
but  kept  a  good  look-out.  Last  evening  we 
stopped  at  the  Travellers'  Rest,  and  Harry, 
here,  overheard  him  and  the  landlord  out  in 


A  DISAGREEABLE  SURPRISE.  67 

tlie  woods  concocting  a  scheme  to  rob  us,  so  I 
just  told  the  gentleman  his  room  was  better 
than  his  company,  and  he  cleared  out." 

"I  am  afraid  he  will  turnup  again,"  said 
Granger  apprehensively. 

"  We'll  try  to  be  ready  for  him,"  said  Obed 
coolly,  "but  I  don't  mean  to  borrow  any 
trouble." 

By  this  time  their  new  acquaintance  had 
satisfied  his  hunger.  He  turned  gratefully  to 
Obed  Stackpole. 

"  How  can  I  thank  you  for  your  great  kind- 
ness ?"  he  said  earnestly.  "I  feel  that  you 
have  saved  my  life." 

"Tut,  tut."  said  Obed,  "I've  only  done  as 
you  would  have  done  in  my  place.  Obed 
Stackpole  isn't  the  man -to  let  anyone  go 
hungry  when  he  has  enough  and  to  spare. 
But  finish  your  story,  my  friend.  How  long  is 
it  since  you  parted  company  with  that  skunk, 
Fletcher?" 

"I  think  it  is  only  seven  days,  but  it  has 
seemed  a  month." 

"And  didn't  you  meet  anybody  humane 
enough  to  relieve  your  hunger?"  . 


68  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

"Yes,  during  the  first  four  days,  but  not 
for  the  last  three.  Part  of  the  time  I  lost  my 
way,  and  did  not  meet  anyone.  I  hope  you 
will  never  know  such  torments  as  I  have 
known  in  that  time." 

"Amen  to  that!  And  now,  my  friend, 
what  are  your  plans?" 

"I  should  like  to  go  back  to  Melbourne," 
said  the  stranger  hesitatingly. 
-  "If  you  say  so,  we'll  fit  you  out  with  three 
days'  provisions,  and  you  can  push  on." 

"  I  hardly  like  to  go  alone." 

"  I  am  sorry,  for  your  sake,  that  we  are  go- 
ing the  other  way.  You  see  we  haven't  made 
our  pile  yet,  and  must  go  on.  I  wish  we  were 
on  our  way  back,  with  our  pockets  well  lined. 
Although  you  have- been  robbed,  you've  got  a 
good  sum  waiting  for  you  in  Melbourne." 

"True;  I  shall  be  all  right  when  I  get 
there,  but  as  I  am  at  present  situated,  it  seems 
very  uncertain  when  I  shall  have  that  good 
fortune." 

"I'll  tell  you  what  you'd  better  do,  Gran- 
ger. Come  along  with  us,  and  join  the  first 
party  we  meet  bound  for  the  city.  You  will, 


A   DISAGREEABLE   SURPRISE.  69 

at  all  events,  be  sure  of  your  victuals  till 
then." 

"  I  believe  your  advice  to  be  good,  and  will 
accept  your  kind  invitation.  When  I  met 
you  I  was  about  worn  out,  but  the  tea  and 
food  have  put  new  life  in  me,  and  my  strength 
has  returned." 

After  an  hour's  halt,  the  little  party 
resumed  their  march.  They  were  compelled 
to  go  so  slowly,  in  consequence  of  the  difficul- 
ties of  the  way,  not  caring,  of  course,  to  get 
ahead  of  the  oxen,  that  Granger  was  easily 
able  to  keep  up.  He  proved  to  be  a  pleasant 
addition  to  the  party,  and  all  were  glad  to 
have  exchanged  Fletcher  for  him.  They  were 
not  destined  to  travel  long  together,  however, 
for  before  nightfall  they  fell  in  with  a  party 
of  eight  persons  bound  for  Melbourne.  The 
two  parties  halted,  and  had  a  conference. 
Granger's  story  being  told,  they  agreed  to  let 
him  join  their  party,  in  consideration  of  a  fair 
compensation  which  he  agreed  to  make  on  his 
arrival  at  Melbourne. 

"  Good-by,  Granger,"  said  Obed,  as  they 
parted.  "I  think  you're  all  right  now.  I 


70  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

wish  you  good  luck  for  the  balance  of  your 
journey." 

"  Thank  you,  Mr.  Stackpole,"  said  Granger, 
grasping  the  Yankee's  hand  cordially.  "If  I 
do,  I  shall  feel  that  I  am  indebted  to  you  for 
my  good  fortune.  I  shudder  to  think  what 
would  have  been  my  fate  if  I  hadn't  fallen  in 
with  you." 

"Then  don't  think  of  it!  Good-by.  Per- 
haps we  shall  meet  again." 

Granger  also  shook  hands  with  Harry  and 
Jack,  and  so  they  parted  on  the  best  of  terms. 

"  I  wonder  whether  we  shall  meet  with  any 
more  of  that  mean  skunk  Fletcher's  victims," 
said  Obed.  "He's  in  a  pretty  mean  busi- 
ness." 

"There's  no  doubt  about  that,"  said  Harry. 
"I'd  rather  live  poor  all  my  life  than  live  by 
fleecing  my  neighbors." 

Toward  the  close  of  the  day  they  entered  a 
much  pleasanter  country.  In  place  of  sandy 
clay,  baked  hard  in  the  sun,  alternating  here 
and  there  with  a  moist  bog,  they  came  to  tall 
grass,  trees  of  great  height,  and  meadows  suit- 
able for  grazing.  The  cattle  revelled  in  the 


A   DISAGREEABLE   SURPRISE.  71 

rich  feed,  and  Obed  suffered  them  to  eat  their 
fill,  feeling  that  they  had  worked  hard  and 
deserved  it.  Though  it  was  rather  earlier  than 
usual,  they  decided  to  encamp  for  the  night 
near  the  margin  of  a  creek,  shaded  by  trees  of 
a  gigantic  size. 

Harry  looked  longingly  at  the  clear  stream, 
and  a  vision  rose  before  him  of  a  pond  in  his 
native  town  where  he  had  been  accustomed  to 
bathe. 

"Jack,"  said  he,  "  let's  have  a  swim." 
"I'm  with  you,"  said  Jack  promptly.    "I'll 
bet  you  a  shilling  I'll  be  in  the  water  first." 
"I'll  make  a  try  for  it  anyway." 
But  Jack,  being  more  simply  dressed,  was  as 
good  as  his  word,  and  plunged  into  the  creek 
first.     Harry  was  scarcely  half  a  minute  be- 
hind.    The  boys  swam,  dived,  and  frolicked  as 
boys  of  their  age  will,  and  were  loath  to  come 
out  at  the  last.     After  their  experience  of  mud 
and  heat  the  batli  seemed  to  them  delicious. 

"  I  haven't  enjoyed  myself  so  much  since  I 
came  to  Australia,"  said  Harry  with  a  deep 
sigh  of  satisfaction.  "I  wish  I  could  have  a 
bath  every  evening." 


72  IX  A   NEW   WOULD. 

"  So  do  I,"  said  Jack  ;  "I  mean  to  have  an- 
other  to-morrow  morning." 

They  slept  soundly  all  night,  but  early  in 
the  morning,  as  consciousness  returned,  Harry 
was  startled  by  the  sound  of  hearty  laughter. 
He  looked  at  Jack  and  Obed  in  amazement, 
but  both  were  fast  asleep.  Indeed,  the  sound 
seemed  to  come  from  above.  He  looked  up 
into  the  tree  beneath  which  they  had  en- 
camped, but  could  see  no  person  concealed 
among  the  branches.  He  did,  however,  notice 
a  peculiar  looking  bird,  and  it  dawned  upon 
him  that  the  laughter  proceeded  from  it.  He 
remembered  now  to  have  heard  of  the  bird 
peculiar  to  Australia,  popularly  known  as  "the 
laughing  jackass."  This  was  the  first  chance 
he  had  had  of  hearing  it,  and  he  woke  up 
Obed  and  Jack  to  hear  it  also. 

"That  beats  all  I  ever  heard,"  said  Mr. 
Stackpole.  "I  wish  he'd  tell  us  what's  the 
joke,  and  we'll  laugh  too." 

This  -was  not  the  only  sound  they  heard. 
A  flock  of  white  cockatoos  were  roosting 
on  the  tree,  and  favored  the  party  with 
their  dissonant  cries.  They  are  de- 


A   DISAGREEABLE   SURPRISE.  73 

scribed  as  having  "most  sharp  and  rasping 
voices." 

"If  that's  singing,"  said  Obed.  "I  shan't 
be  afraid  to  try  it  myself." 

"Don't  you  sing,  Mr.  Stackpole  ? "  asked 
Jack,  smiling. 

"  I  thought  I  could  once,  when  I  was  in  my 
teens.  I  attended  a  singing  school,  and  went 
in  the  attic  one  Sunday  mornin'  to  practise. 
Soon  my  father  was  at  the  foot  of  the  stairs, 
and  asked  me  what  I  meant  by  sawin'  boards 
up  in  the  attic  Sunday  mornin'." 

Of  course  the  boys  laughed,  but  in  spite  of 
Obed's  disclaimer  thought  they  would  prefer 
listening  to  him  to  the  cockatoos. 

They  got  ready  to  move  at  seven,  the  boys 
having  made  sure  of  a  bath  first.  They  were 
not  destined  to  proceed  far,  however.  About 
ten  o'clock,  as  they  were  skirting  the  woods, 
six  men  on  horseback  rode  out  from  the  leafy 
covert.  They  seemed  inclined  to  dispute  the 
passage  of  the  party. 

"  What  can  they  want  ? "  ejaculated  Harry, 
with  a  startled  look. 

"  I  expect  they  are  bushrangers,"  said  Obed. 


CHAPTER  X. 

FLETCHER  TURNS  UP  AGAIN. 

HARRY  didn't  need  to  be  told  that  bush- 
rangers in  Australia  correspond  to 
bandits  in  Italy  and  highwaymen  in  other 
countries.  The  escaped  convicts  and  des- 
perate characters  who  are  naturally  attracted 
to  a  new  country,  readily  adopted  the  wild 
and  lawless  life  of  the  bushrangers.  Stories 
of  their  outrages  were  common  enough,  and 
among  the  dangers  apprehended  in  a  journey 
to  or  from  the  mines,  that  of  meeting  with  a 
party  of  this  gentry  was  perhaps  the  most 
dreaded. 

Though  Obed  Stackpole  betrayed  no  emo- 
tion, but  was  outwardly  quiet,  his  heart  sank 
•within  him  when  he  saw  the  bushrangers 
strung  along  the  road. 

"I  guess  our  trip  to  the  mines  must  be 
given  up,"  said  he  in  a  low  voice  to  Harry. 

Meanwhile  Harry  had   been    scanning   the 


FLETCHER  TURNS   UP  AGAI1ST.  75 

faces  of  the  men  wlio  confronted  them,  and 
made  a  surprising  discovery. 

"Look,  Obed,"  he  said  eagerly,  "at  that 
man  on  the  extreme  right." 

Mr.  Stackpole  did  look. 

"Dick  Fletcher,  as  I'm  a  living  sinner !  "  he 
ejaculated. 

But  at  this  point  the  leader  of  the  bush- 
rangers broke  silence. 

"Do  you  surrender?"  he  asked  in  brief, 
commanding  accents. 

"  I  think  we  shall  have  to,  squire,"  answered 
Obed,  to  whom  the  demand  was  naturally 
addressed.  "  But  I  would  like  to  ask  a  ques- 
tion or  two  if  you  don't  mind." 

"Goon." 

"Are  we  prisoners  of  war?  I  didn't  know 
for  my  part  that  there  was  any  war  in  this 
country." 

"  I  have  no  time  for  foolish  discussion," 
was  the  stern  reply.  "You  must  give  up 
what  money  you  have  about  you." 

"It's  mighty  inconvenient,  squire.  I'm  a 
good  many  thousand  miles  away  from  home, 
and " 


76  IN   A   ]5TEW   WORLD. 

"  Peace,  fool !  Produce  whatever  you  have 
of  value." 

"I  haven't  got  much.  You've  tackled  the 
wrong  man,  squire." 

"  Fletcher,  search  that  man  !  "  said  the  cap- 
tain of  the  band. 

Dick  Fletcher  dismounted  from  his  horse, 
and  with  evident  alacrity  advanced  to  the  side 
of  the  Yankee. 

"I  think  we've  met  before,"  said  Obed 
significantly. 

"I  think  we  have,"  said  the  outlaw,  show- 
ing his  teeth.  "I  told  yon  we  should  meet 
again." 

"I  can't  say  I'm  overjoyed  at  the  meeting. 
However,  I  respect  you  more  now,  when  you 
show  yourself  in  your  true  colors,  than  when 
you  sneaked  up  to  me  at  night,  and  searched 
my  pockets,  pretending  all  the  while  to  be  a 
friend." 

"Take  care  how  you  talk!"  said  Fletcher, 
frowning.  "  Yesterday  you  were  three  to  one, 
now  you  are  in  my  power." 

"  So  you're  a  highway  robber,  are  you, 
Fletcher?  Well,  I  can't  say  I'm  very  much 


FLETCHER  TURNS    UP   AGAIN.  77 

surprised.  I  guess  that's  what  you're  most 
fit  for." 

"Do  you  want  me  to  kill  you?"  said 
Fletcher,  touching  his  hip  pocket.  "It  isn't 
safe  for  you  to  insult  me." 

"  Just  so !  You  have  a  right  to  be  brave 
with  all  them  men  at  your  side." 

"  What  are  you  doing  there,  Dick  Fletcher? 
Why  don't  you  proceed  to  business?"  de- 
manded the  leader  impatiently. 

"Empty  your  pockets,  Stack  pole  !  "  said 
Fletcher  in  a  peremptory  tone. 

"All  right." 

The  Yankee  plunged  his  hands  into  his 
pockets,  and  produced  in  succession  a  jack- 
knife,  a  plug  of  tobacco,  a  bunch  of  keys,  and 
a  couple  of  buttons. 

"Take  them,  Fletcher,"  he  said,  "if  you 
want  'em  more  than  I  do." 

"What  do  you  mean  with  this  tom- 
foolery?" demanded  Fletcher,  perceiving  an 
impatient  frown  on  the  face  of  his  chief. 
"Hand  over  your  money." 

"  I  guess  you'll  have  to  search  me,  Fletcher. 
You've  done  it  before,"  answered  Obed  im- 


78  ITT  A   NEW  WORLD. 

perturbably.  "I've  mislaid  my  money,  and 
you  may  know  where  it  is  better  than  I  do." 

Fletcher  took  him  at  his  word,  and  pro- 
ceeded to  search,  using  some  roughness  about 
it. 

"Be  careful,  Fletcher,"  said  Obed.  "I'm 
a  tender  plant,  and  mustn't  be  roughly 
handled." 

Every  pocket  was  searched,  but  no  money 
was  found.  Dick  Fletcher  looked  puzzled. 

"  I  can't  find  anything,"  he  said  to  the  cap- 
tain. 

"Rip  open  his  clothes,"  said  the  leader  im- 
patiently. "He  has  some  place  of  conceal- 
ment for  his  gold,  but  it  won't  avail.  We 
shall  find  it." 

Fletcher  whipped  out  a  knife  and  was  about 
to  obey  directions,  but  Obed  anticipated 
him. 

"I'll  save  you  the  trouble,  Fletcher,"  he 
said.  "  As  you're  bound  to  have  the  money, 
I  may  as  well  give  it  up.  Just  hand  over  that 
jack-knife,  won't  you  ?  " 

Fletcher  hesitated,  not  understanding  his 
meaning. 


FLETCHER  TUENS   UP   AGAIN.  79 

"Oh,  I'll  give  it  back  to  you  if  you  want  it, 
but  I  need  it  to  get  the  money." 

Upon  this  the  knife  was  given  back  to 
him. 

Obed  cut  open  the  lining  of  his  pantaloons, 
and  drew  out  four  five-pound  bank-notes. 
They  were  creased  and  soiled,  but  this  did  not 
impair  their  value. 

"I  guess  that's  what  you  were  after,"  said 
Obed.  "  I  can't  say  you're  welcome  to  them, 
but  that  doesn't  make  any  difference  to  you,  I 
take  it." 

"Is  that  all  you've  got?"  demanded  the 
chief  of  the  ^bushrangers,  looking  very  much 
disappointed. 

"Every  cent,  squire." 

The  leader  turned  to  Fletcher. 

"Didn't  you  tell  us  this  man  was  well 
fixed?"  he  asked. 

"I  thought  so,"  answered  Fletcher,  crest- 
fallen. 

"  I  thought  you  Jcnew  it.  Why,  this  is  a 
contemptibly  small  sum,  and  doesn't  pay  for 
our  trouble." 

"You're  right,  squire,"  said  Obed.      "It 


80  IN  A   NEW   WOELD. 

aint  worth  carryin'  away.  You  may  as  well 
give  it  back,  Fletcher." 

"That's  a  different  matter,"  continued  the 
captain.  "Once  more,  is  that  all  the  money 
you  have  about  you  ?  " 

"It  is,  squire." 

"Be  careful  what  you  say,  for  if  we  catch 
you  in  a  lie,  we'll  string  you  up  to  the  nearest 
tree." 

"It's  as  true  as  preachin',  squire.  I  never 
lie.  I'm  like  Washington.  I  dare  say  you've 
heard  of  him." 

A  further  search  was  made,  but  no  money 
was  found,  luckily  for  Obed,  since  there  is 
reason  to  believe  that  the  outlaw  would  have 
carried  out  his  threat. 

"The  fellow  here  fooled  you,  Fletcher," 
said  the  captain  sternly.  "Take  care  how  you 
bring  us  any  more  false  reports." 

"There  are  the  boys,"  suggested  Fletcher, 
uncomfortable  under  the  rebuke. 

"  Search  them  also.  " 

This  was  done,  or  rather  it  would  have  been 
done,  had  not  Harry  and  Jack,  fully  realizing 
the  futility  of  resistance,  produced  promptly 


FLETCHER  TURXS   TIP   AGAIN.  81 

all  the  money  they  had.  So  much,  however, 
had  been  spent  on  the  outfit,  that  between 
them  they  could  only  muster  about  seven 
pounds. 

"Humph!"  said  the  captain  contemptu- 
ously, "that's  a  big  haul,  upon  my  word !" 

"There  are  the  cattle  and  supplies,"  said 
Fletcher. 

"They  will  be  of  use.  Here,  Peter,  do  you 
and  Hugh  drive  the  team  into  the  woods,  and 
prepare  some  dinner  for  the  band.  We  will 
be  there  directly." 

Two  men,  unmounted,  who  seemed  to  be 
servants,  came  forward,  and  proceeded  to  obey 
orders. 

"Hold  on,  squire!"  exclaimed  Obed  in 
alarm.  "  You  aint  goin1  to  take  our  team,  are 
you?" 

"Most  certainly  I  am.  If  you  had  had  a 
large  sum  in  money,  we  would  have  spared 
you  this.  As  it  is,  we  must  have  them." 

"  But  we  shall  starve,  without  money  or 
food." 

"  That  is  nothing  to  me." 

"Well,  boys,  come  along,"  said  Obed  in  a 

6 


82  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

despondent  tone.  "  Our  prospects  aint  over 
bright,  but  something  may  turn  up." 

Meanwhile  there  was  a  quiet  conference 
among  the  bushrangers. 

"Hold!"  said  the  captain,  as  Harry  and 
Jack  were  about  to  leave  the  scene  with  their 
older  companion.  "  You  can  go,"  turning  to 
Obed,  "  but  the  boys  remain  with  us." 


CHAPTER  XL 

TAKEN   CAPTIVE. 

HARRY  and  Jack  exchanged  a  glance  of 
dismay.  To  be  stripped  of  all  they  had 
was  a  serious  misfortune  but  in  addition  to 
be  made  prisoners  by  the  bushrangers  was 
something  of  which  they  had  not  dreamed. 
Obed,  too,  was  taken  aback.  He  had  become 
attached  to  his  young  companions,  and  he  was 
very  sorry  to  part  with  them.  He  could  not 
forbear  a  remonstrance. 

"Look  here,  squire,"  he  said  familiarly  to 
the  captain,  "what  do  you  want  to  keep  the 
boys  for?  They  won't  do  you  any  good,  and 
it  '11  cost  considerable  to  keep  'em.  They're 
pretty  hearty." 

Harry  and  Jack  could  not  help  laughing  at 
this  practical  argument. 

The  captain  of  the  bushrangers  frowned. 

"I  am  the  best  judge  of  that,"  he  said.. 
"  You  are  lucky  to  be  let  off  yourself.  Don't 


84  IN   A  NEW   WORLD. 

meddle  with  matters  that  don't  concern 
you." 

"  Take  me,  if  you  want  to,"  said  Obed  inde- 
pendently. "I  shall  be  lonesome  without  the 
boys." 

"You  had  better  go  while  there  is  a 
chance,"  said  the  captain  menacingly.  "If 
you  give  me  any  more  trouble,  I  will  have  my 
men  tie  you  to  a  tree,  and  leave  you  here." 

Harry  was  afraid  the  threat  would  be  carried 
out,  and  begged  Obed  to  make  no  further 
intercession. 

"  I  have  no  doubt  we  shall  meet  again,"  he 
said.  "  These  gentlemen  will  no  doubt  release 
us  soon." 

He  was  by  no  means  confident  of  this,  but 
he  thought  it  politic  to  take  things  cheerfully. 

"The  boy  has  sense,"  said  the  captain 
approvingly. 

"Well,  good-by,  boys,"  said  Obed,  wring- 
ing the  hands  of  his  two  young  friends.  "I 
shall  feel  awfully  lonely,  that's  a  fact,  but  as 
you  say,  we  may  meet  again." 

"Good-by,  Obed,"  said  each  boy,  trying 
not  to  look  as  sorrowful  as  he  felt. 


TAKEN    CAPTIVE.  85 

Obed  Stackpole  turned,  and  walked  slowly 
away.  His  prospects  were  by  no  means 
bright,  for  lie  was  left  without  money  or  pro- 
visions in  the  Australian  wilderness,  but  at 
that  moment  he  thought  only  of  losing  the 
companionship  of  the  two  boys,  and  was 
troubled  by  the  thought  that  they  might  come 
to  harm  among  the  bushrangers. 

"If  I  only  knew  where  they  were  goin'  to 
take  'em,"  he  said  to  himself,  "I'd  foller  and 
see  if  I  couldn't  help  'em  to  escape." 

To  follow  at  once,  however,  he  felt  would  be 
in  the  highest  degree  imprudent,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  move  away  slowly,  but  without 
any  definite  idea  of  where  he  intended  to 
go. 

When  Obed  had  disappeared,  Fletcher  came 
up  to  the  boys,  and  said  with  a  smile  : 

"  So  you  miss  that  Yankee,  do  you  ?  '* 

"  Yes,  I  do,"  answered  Harry. 

"You  like  him?" 

".Yes." 

"Then  I  don't  admire  your  taste.  He's 
rough  and  uncouth,  and  is  more  fitted  for  a 
farm  laborer  than  for  society." 


86  IN  A  NEW  "WORLD. 

"That  may  be,"  said  Harry,  "but  he  is 
honest  and  reliable." 

He  might  perhaps  unconsciously  have 
emphasized  the  word  honest.  At  any  rate, 
Fletcher  so  understood  him,  and  took  offence 
at  the  implication. 

"Look  here,  young  whipper-snapper,"  he 
said  roughly,  "you'd  better  take  care  how 
you  talk.  You  are  in  my  power,  and  some- 
thing will  happen  to  you  if  you  are  insolent." 

"What  have  I  said  to  offend  you  ?"  asked 
Harry,  looking  the  bushranger  calmly  in  the 
face.  "  I  am  not  speaking  of  you,  but  of  Mr. 
Stackpole." 

"  You  meant  to  insinuate  that  there  was  a 
difference  between  us." 

"  That  ought  not  to  offend  you,  as  you  have 
so  poor  an  opinion  of  him." 

Harry  evidently  had  the  best  of  it,  and 
Fletcher  felt  cornered,  for  he  did  not  care  to 
court  the  charge  of  dishonesty. 

"Perhaps  you  didn't  mean  anything,"  he 
growled.  "  If  so,  all  is  well,  but  you  had  best 
be  careful." 

"Follow  me,  men,"   said  the   leader.     He 


TAKEN"    CAPTIVE.  87 

turned  his  horse's  head  and  rode  into  the 
wood. 

The  eucalyptus  trees  are  very  tall,  some 
attaining  a  height  of  hundreds  of  feet. 
They  begin  to  branch  high  up,  and  there 
being  little  if  any  underbrush  in  the  neigh- 
borhood, there  was  nothing  to  prevent  the 
passage  of  mounted  horsemen.  The  ground 
was  dry  also,  and  the  absence  of  bogs  and 
marshy  ground  was  felt  to  be  a  great 
relief. 

The  boys  were  on  foot,  and  so  were  two  or 
three  of  the  bushrangers'  party.  As  already 
intimated,  they  were  of  inferior  rank  and  em- 
ployed as  attendants.  In  general  the  party 
was  silent,  but  the  boys  overheard  a  little 
conversation  between  the  captain  and  Dick 
Fletcher,  who  rode  beside  him. 

"You  haven't  distinguished  yourself  this 
time,  Fletcher,"  said  the  chief  in  a  dissatis- 
fied tone.  "  You  led  me  think  that  this  party 
had  money  enough  to  repay  us  for  our 
trouble." 

"It  isn't  my  fault,"  said  Fletcher  in  an 
apologetic  tone.  "The  Yankee  completely 


88  IN   A  NEW   WORLD. 

deceived  me.  He  was  always  boasting  of  his 
money." 

"  He  doesn't  seem  like  that  kind  of  a  man," 
said  the  captain  thoughtfully.  "  What  could 
have  been  his  object  ?  " 

"  He  must  have  meant  to  fool  me.  I  am 
ashamed  to  say  he  did." 

"Couldn't  you  have  found  out  whether 
his  boasts  were  correct  ? " 

"  That  is  just  what  I  tried  to  do,"  answered 
Fletcher.  "  I  crept  to  his  side  early  one 
morning,  and  began  to  explore  his  pockets, 
but  he  woke  up  in  an  instant  and  cut  up 
rough.  He  seized  me  by  the  throat,  and  I 
thought  he  would  choke  me.  That  made 
me  think  all  the  more  that  he  carried  a  good 
deal  of  money  about  with  him." 

"The  boys,  too — did  you  think  they  were 
worth  plundering  ? " 

"  Oh,  no,  I  never  was  deceived  about  them," 
replied  Fletcher  promptly.  "I  concluded 
that,  even  if  they  had  money,  the  Yankee  was 
their  guardian,  and  took  care  of  it.  They  are 
all  Americans,  you  know." 

He  spoke  glibly,  and  the  captain  appeared 


TAKEN    CAPTIVE.  89 

to  credit  his  statements.  The  boys  listened 
with  interest,  and  with  a  new  appreciation  of 
Fletcher's  character.  They  could  easily  have 
disproved  one  of  his  statements,  for  they  knew 
very  well  that  Obed  never  boasted  of  his 
money,  nor  gave  anyone  a  right  to  suppose 
that  he  carried  much  with  him.  On  this  point 
he  was  very  reticent,  and  neither  of  them 
knew  much  of  his  circumstances.  However,  it 
would  have  done  no  good  to  contradict 
Fletcher,  for  his  word  with  the  captain  would 
have  outweighed  theirs,  and  he  would  have 
found  a  way  to  punish  them  for  their  inter- 
ference. 

"In  future,"  said  the  captain,  "I  advise 
you  to  make  sure  that  the  game  is  worth  bag- 
ging. As  it  is,  you  have  led  us  on  a  fool's 
errand." 

"  That  may  be,"  Fletcher  admitted,  "  but  it 
wasn't  so  last  time.  The  Scotch  merchant 
bled  freely,  you  must  allow." 

"  Yes,  you  did  better  then." 

As  Harry  listened  lie  began  to  understand 
that  Fletcher  acted  as  a  decoy,  to  ingratiate 
himself  with  parties  leaving  Melbourne  for  the 


90  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

mines,  and  then  giving  secret  information  to 
the  bushrangers  with  whom  he  was  connected, 
enabling  them  to  attack  and  plunder  his 
unsuspecting  companions. 

"  That's  a  pretty  mean  sort  of  business,"  he 
said  to  Jack,  when  he  had  an  opportunity  to 
speak  to  him  without  being  overheard.  "I'd 
rather  be  a  robber  right  out  than  lure  people 
into  danger." 

"So  would  I,"  responded  Jack.  "That 
Fletcher's  worse  than  a  pirate." 

Still  they  went  on,  so  slowly  that  the  boys, 
though  compelled  to  walk,  had  little  difficulty 
in  keeping  up.  They  were  necessarily  anxious, 
but  their  predominant  feeling  was  of  curiosity 
as  to  their  destination,  and  as  to  the  bush- 
rangers' mode  of  life. 

At  length  they  came  out  of  the  woods  into 
more  open  ground. 


CHAPTER   XII. 

THE  HOME   OF  THE  BUSIIRANGEES. 

ON  a  slight  rise  stood  a  collection  of  liuts, 
covered  with  sheets  of  the  bark  of  the 
gum-tree,  held  on  by  ties  of  bullock  hide. 
For  the  most  part  they  contained  but  one 
room  each.  One,  however,  Avas  large  and,  the 
boys  afterward  learned,  was  occupied  by  the 
captain  of  the  bushrangers.  Another  served 
as  a  stable  for  the  horses  of  the  party. 

This  Harry  judged  to  be  the  home  of  the 
outlaws,  for  no  sooner  had  they  come  in  sight 
of  it  than  they  leaped  from  their  horses  and 
led  them  up  to  the  stable,  relieving  them  of 
their  saddles.  Then  the  bushrangers  sat  down 
on  the  ground,  and  lounged  at  their  ease. 
The  attendants  forthwith  made  preparations 
for  a  meal,  appropriating  the  stores  which  had 
just  been  taken  from  Obed  and  the  boys.  The 
captives  were  not  sorry  that  there  was  a  pros- 
pect of  a  meal,  for  by  this  time  they  were 


92  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

hungry.  They  followed  the  example  of  their 
companions,  and  threw  themselves  down  on 
the  ground.  Next  to  them  was  a  young  bush- 
ranger, apparently  about  twenty-two  years  of 
age,  who  had  a  pleasant  face,  indicative  of 
good  humor. 

"How  do  you  like  our  home?"  he  asked, 
turning  to  Harry  with  a  smile. 

"  It  is  a  pleasant  place,"  answered  Harry. 

"  How  would  you  like  to  live  here  ?  " 

"I  don't  think  I  should  like  it,"  Harry 
replied  honestly. 

"  And  why  not?  Is  it  not  better  than  to  be 
pent  up  in  a  city  ?  Here  we  breathe  the  pure 
air  of  the  woods  ;  we  listen  to  the  songs  of  the 
birds  ;  we  are  not  chained  to  the  desk  or  con- 
fined from  morning  till  night  in  a  close  office." 

"That  is  true,  but  are  there  not  some  things 
you  do  not  like  about  it?"  asked  Harry 
significantly. 

"  Such  as  what  ?" 

"  Is  it  not  better  to  earn  your  living,  even  if 
you  are  chained  to  a  desk,  than  to  get  it  as 
you  do?" 

Harry  felt  that  he  was  rather  bold  in  asking 


THE  HOME   OF   THE   BUSHRANGERS.  93 

this  question,  but  lie  was  reassured  by  the 
pleasant  face  of  the  young  outlaw. 

"Well,"  admitted  the  latter,  "there  are 
some  objections  to  our  life." 

"  It  would  not  do  for  all  to  get  their  living 
as  you  do." 

"That  is  true.  Some  must  work,  in  order 
that  others  may  relieve  them  of  a  portion  of 
their  property." 

"Are  you  not  afraid  of  being  interfered 
with?" 

"  By  the  mounted  police  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"  We  are  strong  enough  to  overcome  them," 
said  the  bushranger  carelessly. 

"What  is  the  name  of  your  captain?" 
asked  Harry. 

"  Stockton.  No  doubt  you  heard  of  him  in 
Melbourne." 

Harry  shook  his  head. 

The  outlaw  seemed  surprised.  "I  thought 
everybody  in  Australia  had  heard  of  Ben 
Stockton,"  he  said.  "He  has  a  great  name," 
he  added  with  evident  pride.  "He  is  as 
strong  as  a  lion,  fears  nothing,  and  his  name 


94  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

is  associated  with  some  of  the  most  daring 
robberies  that  have  ever  taken  place  in  this 
country." 

"And  still  he  is  free,"  said  Harry  sugges- 
tively. 

"The  authorities  are  afraid  of  him.  They 
have  offered  a  reward  for  his  capture,  but  it 
doesn't  trouble  him.  He  only  laughs  at  it." 

They  were  far  enough  away  from  the  rest  of 
the  party  to  carry  on  their  conversation  un- 
heard— otherwise,  neither  Harry  nor  his  in- 
formant would  have  ventured  to  speak  with 
so  much  freedom.  At  this  eulogium,  however, 
Harry  scanned,  with  some  curiosity,  the  face 
and  figure  of  the  famous  bushranger,  who  was 
sitting  about  three  rods  distant.  He  was  a 
man  of  large  frame,  powerfully  built,  with 
hair  and  beard  black  as  night,  and  keen,  pene- 
trating eyes  that  seemed  to  look  through 
those  upon  whom  they  were  fixed.  He  had 
about  him  an  air  of  command  and  conscious 
authority,  so  that  the  merest  stranger  could 
not  mistake  his  office.  About  his  mouth  there 
was  something  which  indicated  sternness  and 
cruelty.  He  was  a  man  to  inspire  fear,  and 


THE   HOME   OF   THE   BUSHRANGERS.  95 

Harry,  after  a  steady  examination,  felt  no  sur- 
prise at  the  man's  reputation. 

"How  long  lias  lie  been  captain?"  asked 
Harry. 

"Ever  since  I  joined  the  band,"  answered 
the  young  man.  "I  don't  know  how  much 
longer." 

"  How  long  have  you  been  a  member  of  the 
band?" 

"Five  years." 

"  You  must  have  been  a  mere  boy  when  you 
joined." 

"  I  was  seventeen.     I  am  twenty-two  now." 

"I  should  like  to  ask  you  a  question,  but 
you  may  not  like  to  answer  it." 

"Go  on !  If  I  don't  care  to  answer,  I  will 
tell  you  so." 

"  What  induced  you  to  join  the  bush- 
rangers?" 

"  I  will  tell  you,''  said  the  young  man, 
showing  neither  offence  nor  reluctance.  "I 
was  employed  in  Melbourne  in  a  business  es- 
tablishment. One  of  my  fellow- clerks  stole 
some  money,  and,  to  screen  himself,  managed 
to  implicate  me  by  concealing  a  part  of  the 


96  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

stolen  money  in  my  coat  pocket.  I  knew  no 
way  to  prove  my  innocence,  and  my  employer 
was  not  a  man  to  show  pity,  so  I  escaped  from 
Melbourne  and  took  refuge  in  the  bush. 
There  I  fell  in  with  Captain  Stockton,  who 
offered  me  a  place  in  his  band.  I  accepted, 
and  here  I  am." 

"But  for  the  act  of  your  fellow  clerk  you 
would  have  been  an  honest  business  man  to- 
day, then  3" 

"  Very  likely." 

"What  a  pity!"  said  Harry  regretfully, 
for  he  was  much  attracted  by  the  open  face 
and  pleasant  manners  of  the  young  man. 

"  So  I  thought  at  first,  but  I  became  used  to 
it.  After  a  while  I  grew  to  like  the  free  life 
of  the  bush." 

"I  don't  call  it  free.  You  can't  go  back  to 
Melbourne  for  fear  of  arrest.'' 

"  Oh,  yes,  I  have  been  there  several  times," 
said  the  young  man  carelessly. 

"How  did  you  manage  it?"  asked  Harry, 
puzzled. 

"I  disguised  myself.  Sometimes  the  cap- 
tain sends  me  on  special  business." 


THE  HOME   OF  THE   BUSHRANGERS.  97 

«  Like  Fletcher  ?  "  asked  Harry  quickly. 

"No  ;  I  shouldn't  like  that  work.  It  suits 
him,  however." 

"  I  never  should  have  taken  you  for  a  bush- 
ranger. You  look  too  honest." 

The  other  laughed. 

"  I  think  I  was  meant  to  be  an  honest  man," 
he  said.  "That  is,  I  am  better  suited  to  it. 
But  fate  ordained  otherwise." 

"Fate?" 

"Yes  ;  I  believe  that  everything  that  hap- 
pens to  us  is  fated,  and  could  not  have  been 
otherwise." 

"  You  think,  then,  that  you  were  fated  to 
be  a  bushranger? " 

"  I  am  sure  of  it." 

"That,  then,  accounts  for  it  not  troubling 
you." 

"You  are  right.  We  can't  kick  against 
fate,  you  know." 

"  I  shouldn't  like  to  believe  as  you  do,"  said 
Harry  earnestly. 

"You'll  come  to  believe  it  sooner  or  later," 
said    the    outlaw,    with    an   air    of    convic- 
tion. 
7 


98  IN   A   NEW    WORLD. 

"  Then  what  is  the  use  of  trying  to  lead  a 
good  and  honorable  life  I  " 

"That's  just  what  I  say.  There  isn't  any 
use." 

Harry  had  never  before  met  anyone  holding 
such  views  of  fate.  He  was  interested,  but  re- 
pelled. He  felt  that  he  could  not  and  would 
not  accept  any  such  idea,  and  he  said  so. 

"You'll  change  your  mind  after  you  become 
one  of  us,"  said  his  companion. 

"  After  what?  "  ejaculated  Harry. 

"  After  you  become  one  of  us." 

"But  that  will  never  be.  How  can  you 
think  such  a  thing  !  " 

"  Because  I  know  it  is  to  be.  Why  do  you 
think  the  captain  brought  you  here  ?  He  had 
your  money,  and  couldn't  get  any  more  out  of 
you." 

"Do  you  really  mean  what  you  say?" 
asked  Harry,  his  heart  filled  with  a  sickening 
apprehension  that  this  might  be  true. 

"Of  course  I  do.  The  captain  likes  young 
people.  You  two  boys  are  smart  and  bright, 
and  he  is  going  to  make  you  members  of  the 
band." 


THE   HOME   OF  THE   BUSHRANGERS.  99 

"He  can't!  I'll  die  first!"  exclaimed 
Harry  with  suppressed  energy. 

"You  will  see.  But  hush  !  don't  speak  so 
loud.  For  my  part  I  shall  be  very  glad  to 
have  you  among  us.  You  will  be  companions 
for  me.  You  are  only  about  a  year  younger 
than  I  was  when  I  joined." 

At  this  moment  their  companion  was  called 
away,  and  Harry,  bending  toward  Jack, 
whispered  in  his  ear  :  "I  am  afraid  he  is  right 
about  the  captain's  intentions.  We  must  try 
to  escape  as  soon  as  there  is  any  chance." 

"I'm  with  you,"  Jack  whispered  back. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

A  TEIAL   AND   ITS   TEAGIC   FINALE. 

HARRY  was  very  much  disturbed  by  the 
communication  of  his  new  acquaint- 
ance, whose  name  he  ascertained  to  be 
Wyman.  It  was  not  very  pleasant,  of  course, 
to  be  a  prisoner,  but  this  he  could  have  borne, 
being  confident,  sooner  or  later,  of  escaping. 
But  to  be  forced  to  join  these  lawless  men, 
and  render  himself,  like  them,  an  outlaw  and 
outcast  from  respectable  society,  seemed  terri- 
ble. He  determined  that,  come  what  would, 
he  would  preserve  his  integrity  and  his  honest 
name.  He  might  be  ill-treated,  but  they  could 
not  force  him  to  become  a  bushranger.  He 
talked  the  matter  over  with  Jack,  and  the 
young  sailor  agreed  with  him. 

Presently  the  meal  was  ready,  and  the  two 
boys  were  served  with  the  rest.  Notwith- 
standing their  precarious  position,  each  ate 


'    A  TRIAL   AND   ITS   TRAGIC   FINALE.        101 

heartily  It  takes  a  good  deal  to  spoil  the 
appetite  of  a  growing  boy. 

After  eating,  the  captain,  clearing  his 
throat,  addressed  the  band : 

"My  men,"  he  said,  "we  have  refreshed 
ourselves  by  eating,  and  now  a  less  pleasant 
scene  awaits  us.  I  am  your  captain,  and  to 
me  you  have  sworn  implicit  obedience.  Is  it 
not  so  ? " 

"  Yes,  yes  !  "  answered  the  bushrangers. 

"  It  is  a  necessity  of  our  position.  We  have 
withdrawn  from  the  world,  and  we  lead  a  free, 
untrammelled  life  in  the  bush.  We  scorn  the 
laws  that  the  colonists  have  made,  and  prefer 
to  govern  ourselves.  Is  this  so  ?" 

There  was  a  hoarse  murmur  of  assent. 

"As  a  consequence,"  the  captain  proceeded, 
"  we  are  hunted  like  wild  beasts.  Our  ene- 
mies have  laid  plots  to  ensnare  us,  but  thus 
far  they  have  not  succeeded.  While  we  stand 
together  we  are  safe." 

Again  there  were  signs  of  assent  and  ap- 
proval as  Captain  Stockton  paused. 

"  But  one  thing  is  essential.  There  must  be 
no  traitor,  no  malcontents  among  us.  A  large 


102  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

reward  has  been  offered  for  my  apprehension 
— five  thousand  pounds  !  It  shows  how  much 
they  are  afraid  of  us,"  and  he  raised  his  head 
with  unconscious  pride.  "Against  open  ene- 
mies we  can  hold  our  own,  but  not  against  the 
secret  foe  who  sits  beside  us  as  a  friend,  and 
eats  and  drinks  with  us.  When  such  a  one  is 
found,  what  shall  be  his  fate  ?  " 

He  paused  for  a  reply,  and  it  came  from  the 
lips  of  all  in  one  stern  word — "  Death  !  " 

"  I  am  answered,"  said  the  captain.  "  The 
sentence  has  been  pronounced,  not  by  my  lips 
but  by  your  own." 

Here  he  turned  to  two  attendants,  who  were 
stationed  near  at  hand.  "Bring  forth  the 
traitor,"  he  said. 

The  two  men  disappeared  within  one  of  the 
huts,  and  immediately  reappeared,  leading 
behind  them  a  third,  with  his  hands  tied 
behind  him.  His  face  was  covered  by  a  black 
cloth,  which  effectually  screened  his  features 
from  the  general  observation.  All  eyes  were 
turned  on  the  unhappy  man.  Harry  and  Jack 
regarded  the  scene  with  painful  interest.  They 
guessed  what  was  coming. 


A  TRIAL   AND   ITS  TRAGIC   FINALE.        103 

" Complete  your  task!"  said  the  captain 
with  a  wave  of  his  hand. 

The  two  guards  set  the  offender  with  his 
back  to  a  tree,  and  producing  a  rope,  quickly 
passed  it  round  his  waist  and  tied  him  se- 
curely, with  his  screened  face  toward  the 
band. 

"Wretch!"  said  the  captain  in  a  terrible 
voice,  "you  thought  to  betray  us,  and  expose 
us  to  punishment  and  death,  but  the  doom 
which  you  were  ready  to  bring  upon  us  has 
recoiled  upon  yourself.  You  would  have  sold 
your  captain  and  comrades  for  gold.  They 
have  pronounced  your  doom,  and  it  is  Death  ! 
Have  you  anything  to  say  ? " 

The  victim  did  not  speak,  but  slowly  inclined 
his  head  in  hopeless  submission  to  his  fate. 

•'You  have  nothing  to  say  for  yourself.  Is 
there  anyone  to  speak  for  yoji?" 

One  of  the  bushrangers  sprang  forward 
impetuously.  "  Yes,  captain,  I  will  speak  for 
him." 

Captain  Stockton  frowned  fiercely,  but 
uttered  one  word,  "  Speak  !  " 

The  daring    outlaw,  who  had  stepped  for- 


104  IN  A   NEW  WORLD. 

ward  a  little  from  the  line,  commenced : 
"This  man  is  my  brother.  We  were  nursed 
by  the  same  mother,  we  played  together  by 
the  same  fireside,  we  grew  into  manhood 
together,  and  together  we  joined  this  band  of 
brothers." 

He  paused  a  moment,  and  the  captain  said 
briefly,  "Well?" 

"  Now,"  continued  the  brother,  "  you  would 
condemn  him  to  a  shameful  death,  which  he 
does  not  deserve." 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  captain,  his  face 
becoming  pale  with  anger;  "what  do  you  dare 
to  say  ?  Do  you  question  the  justice  of  our 
sentence?  Would  you  excuse  a  traitor?" 

"He  is.  no  traitor!"  said  the  brother 
boldly. 

"Was  he  not  caught  attempting  to  escape? 
Answer  me  instantly." 

"Yes,  but  he  had  no  intention  of  betraying 
any  of  us." 

"What  then  was  his  object?"  demanded 
Captain  Stockton  sternly. 

"He  meant  to  leave  you.  He  had  become 
tired  of  the  life  of  a  bushranger.  He  wished 


A  TRIAL   AND   ITS   TRAGIC   FINALE.        105 

to  return  to  the  paths  of  honesty,  and  live  by 
labor  at  some  respectable  trade." 

"  And  why  was  this  ?  Why,  after  so  many 
years,  had  he  become  tired  of  our  noble  in- 
dependence ?" 

uln  one  of  his  missions,  undertaken  in  the 
interest  of  the  fraternity,  he  had  made  the 
acquaintance  of  a  young  girl,  modest  and 
attractive.  He  wished  to  marry  her,  but  as 
a  bushranger  he  knew  this  was  impossible. 
Therefore,  he  resolved  to  leave  our  band,  and 
enter  upon  a  new  life.  He  would  never  have 
uttered  a  word  to  imperil  the  safety  of  his 
captain  or  his  comrades." 

"And  you  expect  us  to  believe  this  ? "  said 
the  captain  with  a  sneer. 

"I  do.     I  swear  it  is  true." 

"  And  what  do  you  expect  me  to  do,  Robert 
Graham?" 

"To  consider  his  temptations,  and  to  show 
mercy  upon  him." 

"Perhaps  also  you  expect  me  to  release  him, 
and  bid  him  go  his  way  to  the  maiden  who  is 
waiting  for  him." 

"  It  would  be  a  generous  act." 


106  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"But  I  am  not  so  generous,"  said  the  cap- 
tain. "Your  plea  is  ingenious,  but  I  put  no 
faith  in  it.  It  is  utterly  improbable.  You 
and  your  brother  have  been  with  us  for  seven 
years.  You  have  become  accustomed  to  our 
ways.  He  was  faithful  and  loyal  till  the  love 
of  gold  made  him  a  traitor.  What  he  sought 
was  blood  money." 

"No,  a  thousand  times,  no ! "  exclaimed  the 
brother  earnestly. 

"I  say  it  is  so,"  said  Captain  Stockton 
harshly.  "  It  is  plain  to  every  member  of  the 
band.  Yet,  because  you  have  never  trans- 
gressed, I  have  been  willing  to  listen  to  you, 
remembering  that  he  is  your  brother." 

"Spare  his  life  at  least;  even  if  yon  are 
convinced  that  he  is  guilty.  He  has  not  lived 
his  life  half  out.  Be  merciful !  " 

"I  cannot,"  answered  the  captain  in  an 
inflexible  tone.  "  If  I  yielded  to  such  a  weak- 
ness all  discipline  would  be  at  an  end.  If 
teachery  is  to  be  pardoned,  who  knows  which 
one  among  you  might  be  the  next  to  imitate 
the  example  of  this  man.  No !  justice  is 
stern,  and  punishment  must  be  inflicted.  The 


A   TRIAL   AND   ITS   TRAGIC   FINALE.        107 

guilty  must  be  punished  though  the  heavens 
fall.  Men,  stand  aside  !  " 

This  was  addressed  to  the  two  men  who 
stood,  one  on  each  side  of  the  condemned 
bushranger. 

They  obeyed  the  command  of  their  chief 
and  he,  raising  his  revolver,  pointed  it  at  the 
breast  of  the  unhappy  offender. 

There  was  a  moment  of  intense  excitement. 
Harry  and  Jack  were  spellbound.  Their  faces 
were  pale,  and  wore  an  expression  of  horror. 
They  were  about  to  see  a  human  life  taken. 
They  could  hardly  forbear  uttering  a  groan. 

The  silence  was  broken  by  a  sharp,  explo- 
sive sound.  The  deadly  weapon  had  done  its 
work  ;  but  it  was  not  the  captive  who  had 
received  the  winged  messenger  of  death.  It 
was  the  captain  himself  who  staggered  and 
with  one  convulsive  movement  fell  prone  to 
the  earth. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

ELECTION    OF   A   NEW   CAPTAIN. 

ri  THE  excitement  among  the  bushrangers 
-J-  was  intense.  Simultaneously  they 
started  forward,  and  two  of  them,  bending 
over,  lifted  the  body  of  their  prostrate  leader. 
But  he  was  already  dead.  The  bullet  had 
reached  his  heart,  and  probably  he  never  knew 
what  hurt  him. 

Robert  Graham,  the  man  who  had  caused 
his  death,  stood  erect  and  unflinching. 

He  threw  his  weapon  upon  the  ground, 
folded  his  arms,  and  said,  in  a  tone  devoid  of 
fear:  "Comrades,  do  with  me  what  you  will. 
I  could  not  help  doing  what  I  did.  It  was 
either  my  brother's  life  or  his.  Sandy  was 
innocent  of  the  crime  charged  against  him. 
He  had  no  thought  of  treachery,  though  he  did 
mean  to  leave  your  ranks.  Is  there  anyone 
among  you  that  would  stand  by  and  see  his 

108 


ELECTION   OF  A   NEW   CAPTAIN.  109 

brother  murdered  before  his  eyes  when  he  had 
the  means  of  preventing  it  ? " 

The  bushrangers  looked  at  each  other  in 
doubt.  They  had  at  first  accepted  the  cap- 
tain's statement  that  Sandy  Graham  was  a 
traitor.  His  brother's  explanation  of  his 
attempted  desertion  put  a  new  face  on  the 
matter.  Then,  again,  there  was  not  one 
among  them  that  had  not  tired  of  their  des- 
potic leader.  Alive,  he  had  impressed  them 
with  fear,  and  held  them  in  strict  subordina- 
tion, but  he  was  far  from  popular,  and  had  no 
real  friend  among  them.  So,  though  they 
were  startled  and  shocked,  there  was  no  one  to 
shed  a  tear  over  the  dead.  It  was  a  moment 
of  doubt  when  a  leader  was  wanted. 

"Well,"  said  Robert  Graham,  after  a  pause, 
"  what  are  you  going  to  do  with  me  ?  I  wait 
your  pleasure." 

"  He  ought  to  be  served  as  he  served  the 
captain,"  said  Fletcher,  who  disliked  Graham, 
and  had  always  been  a  toady  to  Captain 
Stockton. 

"I  say  no,"  rejoined  Rupert  Ring,  a  man 
of  medium  height,  but  of  great  muscular  de- 


110  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

velopment.  "It  was  a  terrible  deed,  but  had 
my  brother — I  have  a  brother  in  England, 
whom  I  have  not  seen  for  fifteen  years — been 
in  Sandy  Graham's  shoes,  I  would  have  done 
the  same." 

There  was  a  half  murmur,  which  seemed  like 
approval. 

"And  after  all,"  continued  Ring,  "though 
Sandy  Graham  was  in  fault,  he  is  not  the  first 
man  that  has  been  beguiled  by  a  fair  face." 

"No,  no  !  "  was  heard  from  several  of  the 
bushrangers. 

"I  don't  wish  to  speak  ill  of  the  dead,  but 
lie  drew  the  reins  too  tight  at  times.  He  for- 
got that  we  have  rights." 

Again  there  was  a  murmur  of  assent.  It 
was  evident  that  he  was  carrying  his  comrades 
with  him. 

"I  move,  therefore,  that  we  pass  over 
Robert  Graham's  deed  as  one  to  which  he 
was  impelled  by  brotherly  affection,  and  that 
we  restore  Sandy  Graham  to  his  place  in  our 
ranks,  on  condition  that  he  does  not  repeat  the 
offence.  Those  who  agree  with  me,  hold  up 
their  right  hands." 


ELECTION   OF   A   NEW   CAPTAIN.  Ill 

All  hands  were  raised  except  that  of  Fletcher. 

"Release  the  prisoner,"  said  Ring,  turn- 
ing to  the  two  attendants. 

Instantly  the  rope  was  cut,  the  dark  cloth 
was  removed,  and  Sandy  Graham,  a  tall,  ath- 
letic, good-looking  fellow,  stepped  forth,  his 
face  pale  from  the  terrible  strain  to  which  he 
liad  been  subjected. 

"Comrades,  brothers,"  he  said,  in  a  voice 
indicating  deep  emotion,  "I  thank  you  for 
giving  me  back  my  life.  It  shall  be  devoted 
to  your  service." 

The  first  to  press  forward,  and  grasp  his 
hand  convulsively  was  his  brother,  Robert 
Graham. 

"  Robert,"  said  Sandy,  "but  for  your  brave 
act  I  should  have  been  lying  dead  instead  of 
him,"  and  he  pointed,  with  a  shudder,  to  the 
dead  captain. 

"For  your  sake,  Sandy,"  said  Robert  sol- 
emnly, "I  have  shed  human  blood.  To  save 
your  life,  I  have  become  a  murderer." 

"No,  Robert,  you  cannot  be  called  that  any 
more  than  if  you  had  shed  blood  in  self- 
defence." 


112  IN  A   NEW    WORLD. 

Their  conversation  was  interrupted  by 
Rupert  Ring. 

"Comrades,"  lie  said,  "the  captain  is 
dead.  We  can  do  nothing  without  a 
leader.  We  should  appoint  one  at 
once." 

Here  Fletcher  pushed  forward. 

"I  am  the  oldest  in  service  among  you,"  he 
said.  "I  was  the  trusted  friend  of  Captain 
Stockton.  I  submit  that  I  have  the  best  claim 
to  be  your  leader." 

But  among  bushrangers,  as  in  other  com- 
munities, the  man  who  is  the  most  anxious  to 
secure  office  is  very  apt  to  be  left  in  the  lurch. 
Now,  it  happened  that  Fletcher  was  by  no 
means  a  favorite  in  the  band.  He  was  sly  and 
sneaking  in  his  methods,  currying  favor  with 
the  captain,  even  at  the  expense  of  manliness 
and  self-respect,  and  there  were  serious 
doubts  as  to  his  courage.  If  he  had  been 
wiser,  he  would  not  have  made  a  boast  of  his 
standing  with  the  late  leader,  for  the  men 
were  heartily  tired  of  his  tyranny,  and 
resolved  to  elect  someone  in  his  place  who 
bore  no  similarity  to  him. 


ELECTION  OF  A  NEW  CAPTAIN.  113 

Rupert  Ring  smiled  slightly  as  he  heard 
Fletcher's  modest  claim. 

"Comrades,"  he  said,  "you  have  heard 
Fletcher's  appeal.  It  is  true  that  he  is  the 
oldest  in  service  among  you.  It  is  for  you  to 
consider  whether  that  entitles  him  to  the  post 
of  leader.  Those  of  you  who  are  in  favor  of 
Dick  Fletcher  as  your  leader  will  signify  it  by 
raising  your  right  hands." 

Fletcher's  eye  wandered  anxiously  around 
the  circle.  To  his  chagrin  not  a  single  hand 
was  raised  save  his  own.  There  was  a  cheer 
of  derision  which  brought  an  angry  flush  to 
his  cheek. 

Then  a  clear  voice  was  heard.  It  was  that  of 
the  young  man,  Wyman,  whose  conversation 
with  the  two  boys  has  already  been  recorded. 

"  I  nominate  Rupert  Ring  for  our  leader," 
he  said. 

There  was  a  chorus  of  approval,  which  em- 
boldened Wyman  to  add  :  "As  he  can't  very 
well  put  the  question  on  his  own  nomination, 
I  will  do  so.  Those  of  you  who  want  Ring  for 
your  captain,  please  hold  up  your  right 
hands." 


114  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

All  hands  were  raised  except  that  of  Fletcher. 

"That  settles  it,"  said  Wyman,  who  was 
unversed  in  parliamentary  language.  "  I  call 
for  three  cheers  for  Captain  Ring  ! " 

The  woods  echoed  to  the  lusty  cheers  of  the 
bushrangers.  It  was  evident,  from  the  general 
expression  of  satisfaction,  that  the  choice  was 
a  popular  one. 

"Comrades,"  said  the  new  captain  mod- 
estly, "I  did  not  look  for  this  promotion,  as 
you  may  have  thought  from  my  taking  the 
lead  just  now,  but  I  saw  that  it  was  necessary 
for  somebody  to  act.  I  don't  know  whether 
you  have  made  a  wise  choice  or  not,  but  I  will 
do  my  best  to  make  you  think  so.  Since  I  am 
your  captain,  it  is  my  duty  first  to  see  that 
proper  honor  is  paid  to  the  remains  of  your 
late  captain,  whom  sudden  death  has  over- 
taken. You  two  lift  the  body  and  carry  it 
into  yonder  cabin." 

The  two  attendants  did  so. 

"Prepare  a  coffin,  and  at  daybreak  we  will 
commit  him  to  the  earth.  Whatever  else  may 
be  said  of  him,  he  was  a  brave  man,  and  knew 
not  fear." 


ELECTION   OF   A   NEW   CAPTAIN.  115 

"That  is  true,"  said  Robert  Graham  in  a 
low  voice. 

"As  to  his  faults,  those  we  have  no  further 
concern  with.  All  of  us  have  faults  and  no 
doubt  grave  ones." 

Fletcher,  till  now,  had  sulked  in  silence. 
He  was  terribly  disappointed  that  he  had  been 
passed  over  and  Rupert  Ring  promoted  to  the 
place  of  chief,  but  since  it  was  so  he  felt  that 
it  was  politic  to  stand  well  with  the  new 
administration. 

"Captain  Ring,"  he  said,  extending  his 
hand,  "let  me  be  the  first  to  congratulate  you 
on  your  election  as  our  captain." 

Ring  smiled  slightly.  He  had  never  liked 
Fletcher. 

"  I  accept  your  congratulations,  Fletcher," 
he  said,  "  and  condole  Avith  you  on  your  own 
disappointment.  We  can't  all  be  leaders." 

"  I  hope  to  enjoy  your  favor,  as  I  did  that 
of  Captain  Stockton,"  continued  Fletcher 
smoothly. 

"That  will  depend  on  yourself,"  said  Ring 
shortly. 

"I  would    like    to    suggest    that  the  two 


116  IN  A  NEW  WOULD. 

boys" —  here  Fletcher  turned  in  the  direction 
where  Harry  and  Jack  had  been  standing,  and 
ejaculated  in  dismay,  "I  don't  see  them. 
What  has  become  of  them  ? " 

"  They  have  taken  advantage  of  the  excite- 
ment and  confusion  to  run  away,  I  fancy," 
said  the  new  captain  quietly. 

This  was  quite  true.  Just  after  the  fatal 
shot  had  been  fired,  and  the  attention  of  all 
had  been  taken  up  by  the  tragedy,  Harry  had 
whispered  to  Jack,  "  Now's  our  time  to  escape, 
Jack.  Follow  me!" 

"I'm  with  you,"  responded  Jack  promptly, 
and  no  one  noticed  the  two  as  they  vanished 
among  the  trees. 

"Shall  I  go  after  them,  Captain  Ring?" 
asked  Fletcher  in  excitement.  "I'll  take 
another  man,  and  scour  the  woods  for  them." 

"It  is  not  necessary,"  said  Ring  indiffer- 
ently. "Let  them  go  !  They  would  only  be 
in  our  way." 

"  But,"  protested  Fletcher,  "  Captain  Stock- 
ton meant  to  take  them  into  the  band.  They 
are  bright  and  smart  boys,  and  would  grow  up 
into  useful  members." 


ELECTION   OF   A   NEW   CAPTAIN.  117 

"  Heaven  forbid!"  said  Ring  earnestly. 
"  Our  lives  are  spoiled  already,  and  we  have 
no  chance  but  to  continue.  Leave  them  to 
grow  up  innocent." 

"  This  is  strange  talk  for  a  captain  of  bush- 
rangers," said  Fletcher,  disappointed. 

"Remember  that  I  am  your  captain,"  re- 
torted Ring  sharply,  "and  don't  attempt  to 
interfere  with  me  1  Go,  I  would  be  alone." 

Fletcher  slunk  away,  mortified  and  disap- 
pointed. It  was  well  for  the  two  boys  that  he 
had  not  been  elected  captain. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

LOST   IN   THE    WOODS. 

~T"7"*ES,  the  two  boys  had  escaped.  When 
JL  the  excitement  produced  by  the  fatal 
shot  was  at  its  height,  it  had  flashed  upon 
Harry  like  an  inspiration  that  then,  if  ever, 
was  the  time  to  escape.  He  knew  that  it 
would  be  at  the  risk  of  their  lives,  and  but  for 
one  consideration  it  is  doubtful  if  he  would 
have  been  willing  to  incur  the  peril  of  the 
attempt.  But  he  felt  that  to  stay  was  to  run 
a  risk  as  great — that  of  being  compelled  to  join 
the  ranks  of  the  bushrangers,  and  of  that  he 
liad  a  great  dread. 

The  boys  never  stopped  running  till  they 
had  set  half  a  mile  between  them  and  the 
camp  of  the  bushrangers.  Jack  was  the  first 
to  show  distress. 

"Hold  on,  Harry,"  he  said,  panting,  "I  am 
all  out  of  breath." 

Harry  instantly  slackened  his  speed. 


LOST   IN   THE   WOODS.  119 

"Look  back,  Jack,"  he  said  anxiously; 
"  see  if  you  can  discover  anyone  pursuing  us." 

"  I  see  no  one,"  answered  Jack  after  a  pro- 
longed look. 

"  They  have  other  things  to  think  of,"  said 
Harry.  "The  murder  of  their  captain  has 
put  all  thoughts  of  us  out  of  their  heads. 
When  the  excitement  has  subsided  a  little,  I 
am  afraid  they  will  look  for  us.  How  terrible 
it  was  !  "  he  added  with  a  shudder. 

"Yes,"  returned  Jack.  "I  saw  that  man 
— the  captive's  brother — lift  his  weapon  and 
point  it  at  the  captain.  Almost  before  I  could 
speak  it  was  discharged  and  the  captain  fell. 
He  must  have  been  killed  instantly." 

"I  little  thought  what  lay  before  me  when  I 
left  home,"  said  Harry. 

"I  wish  I  knew  what  lies  before  us  now," 
said  Jack. 

"I  am  afraid  our  prospects  are  rather  dark. 
We  must  take  care  at  any  rate  not  to  fall 
again  into  the  hands  of  the  bushrangers.  I 
am  most  afraid  of  that  man  Fletcher.  If  he 
could  have  his  way,  he  would  show  us  no 
mercy." 


120  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"Let  us  go  on  again,"  said  Jack.  "  I  only 
stopped  to  catch  my  breath." 

"You  are  right,  Jack.  The  farther  we  get 
away  from  the  bushrangers  the  better." 

Before  them  was  a  densely  wooded  hill. 
The  way  had  become  difficult  with  the  scrub 
bushes  that  filled  up  the  distance  between  the 
trees.  The  latter  were  no  longer  the  same 
which  they  had  hitherto  encountered,  the  tall 
and  stately  eucalyptus,  but  were  smaller  and 
wider  branched. 

"We  can't  make  our  way  here,  Harry," 
said  Jack  despondently. 

"Oh,  yes,  we  can.  Besides,  don't  you  see, 
the  rougher  and  more  difficult  the  way,  the  less 
are  we  likely  to  be  followed.  I  am  willing  to 
go  through  a  good  deal  to  save  capture." 

"  So  am  I,"  answered  Jack.  "  You  are 
always  right.  Push  ahead,  and  I'll  follow." 

For  three  or  four  hours  the  boys  kept  on 
their  way.  They  surmounted  the  hill,  and 
found  a  clearer  country.  Finally,  turning  to 
the  right  they  came  upon  an-open  tract.  By 
this  time  it  was  growing  dark,  and  the  boys 
were  feeling  both  fatigued  and  hungry. 


LOST  IN   THE   WOODS.  121 

"I  think  we  can  rest  now,  Jack,"  said 
Harry. 

With  a  sigh  of  relief  Jack  threw  himself  on 
the  ground. 

"  This  is  worse  than  any  work  I  did  on  ship- 
board," he  said. 

Harry  smiled. 

"  I  don' t  think  it  is  likely  to  cure  you  of  your 
love  for  the  sea,  Jack,"  he  said.  "Though  I 
haven' t  your  fondness  for  sea  life,  I  confess  I 
would  rather  be  on  the  deck  of  a  good  stanch 
ship  than  here,," 

"Harry,"  said  Jack  anxiously,  "when  do 
you  think  we  shall  find  something  to  eat  ?  I 
am  terribly  hungry." 

"So  am  I,  Jack.  It's  the  hard  walk  that 
has  increased  our  appetite." 

"  I  have  often  thought  I  might  be  afloat  in 
an  open  boat  without  anything  to  eat,  but  I 
never  expected  to  be  caught  in  such  a  pickle 
on  land." 

"  A  good  many  things  have  happened  to  us 
to-day  that  we  didn't  expect,"  said  Harry. 
"Bo  you  know,  Jack,  it  seems  the  longest 
day  I  ever  spent?" 


122  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"  I  can  say  the  same." 

"This  morning  we  set  out  with  Obed,  free 
from  care.  We  have  been  captured  by  bush- 
rangers, taken  to  their  camp,  seen  the  murder 
of  their  leader,  escaped,  and  after  walking  for 
miles  through  a  rough  wilderness  here  we  are, 
tired  out  and  in  danger  of  starvation." 

"Don't  say  any  more,  Harry,"  said  Jack 
faintly.  "I  can  realize  it  without  your  de- 
scription." 

"I  wish  Obed  were  with  us,"  said  Harry, 
after  a  pause.  "Perhaps  he  could  think  of 
some  way  out  of  our  trouble.  He  is  an  ex- 
perienced man,  and  is  used  to  roughing  it. 
As  for  me,  I  feel  helpless." 

"Do  you  think  there  is  likely  to  be  any 
house  near  at  hand  1 " 

"It  doesn't  look  like  it,"  said  Harry,  shak- 
ing his  head. 

"I  don't  think  I  should  mind  much  being 
caught  and  carried  back  by  the  bushrangers, 
if  they  would  give  me  a  good  supper,"  said 
Jack  ruefully. 

"Poor  Jack  !  "  said  Harry  compassionately  ; 
"  I  do  believe  you  are  suffering  for  food." 


LOST   IX   THE   WOODS.  123 

"  I  told  you  so,  Harry." 

"  My  appetite  no  doubt  will  come  later.  At 
present  I  am  not  very  uncomfortable.  Well, 
Jack,  there  is  only  one  thing  to  do.  We 
must  explore  further  and  see  if  we  can  find 
any  trace  of  a  human  habitation.  Suppose 
you  go  to  yonder  knoll,  and  climb  the  tree  at 
the  top.  Then  use  your  eyes  for  all  they  are 
worth.  They  are  better  than  mine,  at  any 
rate,  for  you  are  accustomed  to  use  them  at 
sea.  All  sailors,  I  have  heard,  are  far- 
sighted." 

Jack  was  ready  to  obey  Harry,  feeling  much 
more  confidence  in  his  judgment  and  discre- 
tion than  in  his  own.  He  accordingly  fol- 
lowed his  advice,  and  with  a  sailor's  agility 
mounted  the  tree.  Then  shading  his  eyes  with 
his  hand,  he  looked  earnestly,  first  in  one 
direction,  then  in  another. 

"Well,  Jack?"  inquired  Harry  anxiously, 
,  for  he,  too,  appreciated  the  gravity  of  their 
situation. 

There  was  a  pause  ;  then  Jack  called  out 
joyfully  :  "  I  see  a  light :  yes,  I  am  sure  I  see 
a  light." 


124  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"Whereaway?" 

"  Straight  ahead,  or  a  little  to  the  left." 

"Take  a  good  look,  Jack,  so  as  to  be  sure 
of  your  bearings.  Then  we  ATI!!  make  our  way 
toward  it  with  the  best  speed  we  can  muster." 

Jack  scrambled  down  from  the  tree  with  his 
face  actually  cheerful.  The  prospect  of  a 
meal  had  put  new  life  into  him. 

"  Follow  me  !  "  he  said.  "  I  don't  think  it 
can  be  more  than  a  mile  away." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 
THE  SHEPHERD'S  HUT. 

~AT"OT  feeling  their  fatigue  so  much  now 
JL  i  that  they  were  buoyed  up  by  the  hope 
of  shelter  and  food,  the  two  boys  plodded  on. 
The  way  was  at  times  difficult,  and  there  was 
no  glimpse  of  the  light  which  Jack  had  seen 
from  the  tree- top. 

"Do  you  think  you  are  on  the  right  track, 
Jack  ? "  asked  Harry  anxiously. 

"  Yes,  I  feel  sure  of  it,"  answered  the  young 
Bailor.  * 

"It  would  be  very  unlucky  if  we  had  wan- 
dered from  the  right  direction." 

"Yes,  I  should  feel  like  lying  down  and 
giving  up,  but  I  am  sure  I  am  right." 

Events  proved  that  Jack  was  right.  They 
came  to  an  open  place,  from  which  they  could 
distinctly  see  the  light  gleaming  from  a  dwell- 
ing only  forty  rods  away. 


126  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"There,  what  did  I  tell  you  ?"  demanded 
Jack  triumphantly. 

"  You  are  right,  Jack.  I  am  glad  enough 
to  admit  it.  Now  the  question  is,  will  the 
people  who  occupy  the  house  let  us  in  ? " 

"They  can't  be  so  inhuman  as  to  refuse. 
Pass  on,  Harry." 

They  were  not  long  in  reaching  the  hut.  It 
was  one  of  those  slab  huts  which  are  used  by 
shepherds.  They  are  lonely  enough,  the  sta- 
tions being  in  some  instances  twenty  miles 
from  the  nearest  dwelling.  This  was  a  single 
dwelling,  the  home  of  one  of  the  out  keepers. 
The  chief  stations  are  usually  an  aggregation 
of  dwellings.  In  the  yard  was  a  pile  of  wood 
for  fuel.  Close  at  hand  was  a  paddock  sur- 
rounded by  a  rail  fence,  over  which  hung  a 
number  of  sheepskins.  All  these  evidences 
of  habitation  cheered  the  hearts  of  the  lonely 
boys. 

Harry  went  up  to  the  door  and  knocked. 

His  knock  appeared  to  create  some  com- 
motion inside.  A  voice  was  heard,  and 
then  there  was  audible  the  barking  of  a  dog, 
but  no  one  came  to  the  door. 


THE  SHEPHERD'S  HUT.  127 

"Suppose  you  knock  again,  Harry,"  said 
Jack. 

"They  must  have  heard  my  first  knock. 
Perhaps  they  don't  want  to  let  us  in." 

However,  Harry  knocked  again. 

Again  the  dog  inside  barked,  this  time  with 
fierce  emphasis. 

"Is  there  no  one  inside  but  the  dog?" 
thought  Harry  anxiously.  Having  no  weapon 
with  him,  he  took  a  piece  of  a  broken  rail,  so 
that  in  case  of  necessity  he  might  have  a 
means  of  defence. 

He  was  about  to  venture  on  a  third  knock 
when  a  tremulous  voice,  which  the  boys  at 
once  recognized  as  that  of  a  girl,  was  heard 
from  within. 

"  Who  are  you  ?    What  do  you  want?" 

"  We  are  two  boys  who  have  lost  our  way, 
and  are  almost  starved,"  answered  Harry. 
"For  Heaven's  sake  let  us  in,  and  give  us 
something  to  eat.'5 

There  was  a  pause,  the  girl  being  evidently 
undecided. 

"Are  there  only  two  of  you  ?  "  she  asked. 

"Only  two." 


128  IN  A  NEW   WOELD. 

"  You  are  sure  there  is  no  one  with  you  ? " 

"  No  one." 

"And  you  are  boys?" 

"Yes." 

"  What  brings  you  here— in  this  lonely 
place,  at  this  hour?" 

"  We  are  on  our  way  to  the  gold-fields  of 
Bendigo." 

"But  this  is  off  the  road." 

"I  know  it.  The  fact  is,  we  were  captured 
by  the  bushrangers,  and  have  made  our  escape. 
We  plunged  into  the  woods,  thinking  we  were 
less  likely  to  be  caught  and  carried  back." 

There  was  a  change  in  the  girl's  tone  as  she 
said:  "  Is  this  really  true  ?  You  are  not  bush- 
rangers yourselves  ? " 

"No,  I  hope  not,"  answered  Harry  with  a 
boyish  laugh. 

This  laugh,  which  sounded  natural  and  gen- 
uine, evidently  inspired  the  girl  with  confi- 
dence. 

"  If  I  let  you  in,  will  you  promise  to  do  no 
mischief  ?"  she  asked. 

"You  shall  have  no  cause  to  regret  admit- 
ting us,  we  promise  that." 


THE  SHEPHERD'S  HUT.  129 

There  was  still  a  little  pause  of  indecision, 
and  then  a  bolt  was  drawn,  and  the  door 
opened.  The  two  boys  saw  in  the  doorway  a 
pleasant-faced  girl  of  fourteen,  whose  eyes  fell 
upon  them  not  without  a  shade  of  anxiety. 
But  when  she  saw  that  the  two  visitors 
were  boys  not  much  older  than  herself,  there 
was  a  look  of  relief,  and  she  said:  "I  will 
trust  you.  Come  in  if  you  like.  Hush, 
Bruno  !  " 

This  was  addressed  to  a  large  shepherd  dog 
that  stood  beside  her,  eying  them  sus- 
piciously. 

A  weight  seemed  lifted  from  the  hearts  of 
the  two  boys,  as  they  caught  sight  of  the  com- 
fortable interior  of  the  hut.  On  the  one  side 
of  the  room  was  a  large  open  fireplace,  on 
which  a  good  fire  was  burning.  The  flickering 
flames  helped  illumine  the  apartment,  and 
diffused  a  home-like  air,  which  was  most 
grateful  to  the  two  tired  wanderers. 

"You  are  very  kind  to  admit  us,"  said 
Harry.  "You  have  no  idea  how  great  a  favor 
it  is." 

"I  would  have  let  you  in  before,   but  I 


130  IN   A   NEW    WORLD. 

thought  you  might  be  bushrangers,"  said  the 
girl. 

"We  don't  look  much  like  bushrangers,  do 
we  ?"  said  Harry  with  a  smile. 

The  girl  smiled  too.  She  was  evidently 
pleased  with  the  appearance  of  her  two  visi- 
tors. 

"No;  if  I  had  seen  you,  I  should  have 
known  better  than  to  think  you  belonged  to 
their  band.  Come  in  and  sit  down  by  the 
fire." 

"  Thank  you." 

Harry  and  Jack  seated  themselves  on  a  settle 
near  the  fire,  and  the  girl  continued  to  eye 
them  curiously. 

"  I  suppose  you  are  boys,"  she  said. 

"We  don't  call  ourselves  men  yet,"  an- 
swered Harry. 

"I  never  saw  a  boy  before,"  was  the  unex 
pected  remark  of  their  young  hostess. 

"  WHAT!  "  ejaculated  the  two  boys  in  con- 
cert. 

"I  scarcely  ever  saw  anybody,"  explained 
the  girl.  "My  father  and  I  live  here  alone, 
and  have  lived  here  for  years.  He  has  a 


THE  SHEPHERD'S  HUT.  131 

flock  of  fifteen  hundred  sheep  to  watch  and 
tend.  Sometimes  another  shepherd  calls  here, 
and  we  had  a  visit  from  the  bushrangers  last 
year." 

"It  must  be  very  lonely  for  you,"  said 
Harry  in  a  sympathetic  tone. 

"  Yes,  it  is  ;  but  I  am  used  to  it.  Father  is 
away  all  day,  but  he  leaves  Bruno  to  keep  me 
company." 

"  Come  here,  Bruno  !  "  said  Jack  in  a  coax- 
ing tone. 

Bruno  eyed  Jack  dubiously,  and  finally 
walked  up  to  him  deliberately,  and  allowed 
himself  to  be  stroked. 

"  Bruno  doesn't  think  we  are  bushrangers," 
said  Jack,  smiling. 

"He  did  at  first,  though,"  the  girl  replied 
with  an  answering  smile.  "  Have  you  been 
walking  all  day?" 

"  Yes  ;  the  greater  part  of  the  day." 

"Then  you  must  be  hungry." 

"We  are  almost  starved!"  said  Harry 
tragically.  "Are  we  not,  Jack?" 

"I  am  quite  starved,"  said  the  young 
sailor. 


132  IN    A   NEW   WORLD. 

"Then  I  must  get  you  some  supper,"  said 
the  girl  in  a  hospitable  tone. 

"Thank  you,"  said  Harry  earnestly. 
"Will  you  let  me  know  your  name?"  he 
asked. 

"My  name  is  Lucy." 

"My  grandmother's  name  was  Lucy,"  said 
Jack. 

"Then  you  may  look  upon  me  as  your 
grandmother,"  said  the  girl  demurely. 

Of  course  all  three  laughed  heartily  at  this 
absurdity.  Then  Lucy  moved  about  with 
quick  steps,  and  soon  a  goodly  supper  of  mut- 
ton-chops was  fizzling  in  the  frying-pan,  send- 
ing forth  savory  odors  that  made  their  mouths 
water.  Presently  Lucy  drew  out  a  table, 
and  placed  upon  it  the  chops  and  some  cold 
bread. 

"I  would  boil  some  potatoes,"  she  said, 
"but  you  might  not  like  to  wait  so  long." 

"  I  think  we  won't  wait,  Lucy." 

"You  haven't  told  me  your  name,"  said 
Lucy  as  they  drew  up  to  the  table. 

"My  name  is  Harry  Vane,"  said  the  pos- 
sessor of  that  name. 


THE  SHEPHERD'S  HUT.  133 

"And  mine  is  Jack  Pendleton." 

"Harry  and  Jack,"  repeated  Lucy,  nod- 
ding. 

"Yes." 

"And  where  do  you  come  from?  " 

"From  America." 

"  Isn't  that  a  long  way  off?" 

"Yes,  thousands  of  miles  off ;  seven  or 
eight,  I  think." 

"  You  are  very  young  to  walk  so  far,"  said 
Jjiicy,  "  but  perhaps  you  rode.  Did  the  bush- 
rangers steal  your  horses  ?  " 

"We  came  over  the  sea,"  said  Harry. 
"Jack  is  a  sailor." 

Lucy  looked  at  Jack  curiously,  as  if  a  sailor 
were  a  strange  species  of  animal. 

At  this  point  Bruno  raised  his  head,  looked 
toward  the  door,  and  began  to  bark. 

"  I  think  my  father  must  be  close  by,"  said 
Lucy.  "Bruno  is  always  the  first  to  hear 
him." 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

A   WELCOME  IN   THE  WILDS. 

EFORE  Lucy  could  reach  the  door,  it  was 
opened,  and  a  stalwart  man  of  middle 
age  paused  on  the  threshold,  in  evident  sur- 
prise. 

"Whom  have  you  here,  Lucy?"  he  asked 
in  a  tone  of  displeasure. 

"Two  boys, papa,  who  came  here  in  distress, 
having  lost  their  way." 

"Did  I  not  caution  you  against  admitting 
strangers?"  continued  her  father  with  a 
slight  frown. 

"Yes,  but  these  are  boys,  not  men." 

Harry  Vane  thought  it  was  time  to  start. 

"I  hope,  sir,"  he  said,  "you  won't  blarne 
your  daughter  for  her  kindness  to  us.  We 
stood  greatly  in  need  of  friendly  help,  having 
been  robbed  of  everything  by  the  bushrangers, 
from  whom  we  managed  by  good  luck  to 
escape  some  hours  since." 


A   WELCOME   IX   THE   WILDS.  135 

The  shepherd  regarded  Harry  keenly,  and 
proceeded  to  cross-examine  him. 

"You  say  you  were  captured  by  the  bush- 
rangers ? "  he  said. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"When  was  this?" 

"  This  morning,  just  after  breakfast." 

"Where  did  it  happen?" 

Harry  told  him. 

"  Where  were  you  going  ? " 

"To  the  mines  at  Bendigo." 

"How  large  was  your  party  ? " 

"There  were  only  three  of  us — a  country- 
man of  ours  and  ourselves." 

"Where  is  he?" 

"  The  bushrangers  robbed  him  and  let  him 
go." 

"Why  did  they  not  release  you  and  your 
friend?" 

"Because,  as  a  young  member  of  the  band 
told  us,  the  captain  meant  to  spare  us  to  join 
the  band." 

"You  are  young  to  be  travelling  to  the 
mines.  What  countrymen  are  you  ?  " 

"  We  are  Americans." 


136  IN  A   NEW   WOTCLTX 

"Humph!  your  story  sounds  well  enough, 
but  how  do  I  know  that  you  are  not  spies  of 
the  bushrangers  ? " 

Harry  Yane's  eyes  flashed  indignantly. 

"I  hope  you  won't  think  so  badly  of  us," 
he  said. 

The  shepherd  seemed  somewhat  impressed 
by  his  indignant  denial,  which  certainly 
seemed  genuine  enough,  but  wanted  informa- 
tion on  one  point. 

"How  did  you  manage  to  escape?  That 
doesn't  seem  very  probable,  at  any  rate." 

"We  both  took  advantage  of  the  excite- 
ment occasioned  by  the  murder  of  Captain 
Stockton "  he  began. 

"What!"  exclaimed  the  shepherd  in  pro- 
found astonishment.  ."Captain  Stockton 
murdered  !  When  ?  By  whom  ?  " 

Of  course  Harry  told  the  story,  but  that 
need  not  be  repeated. 

The  shepherd  listened  in  evident  excitement. 

"If  this  is  true,"  he  said,  "nothing  better 
could  have  happened  for  this  part  of  Australia. 
This  man — Stockton — is  noted  everywhere  as 
the  most  desperate  and  cruel  of  the  bush- 


A   WELCOME   IN   THE   WILDS.  137 

rangers.  I  can't  begin  to  tell  yon  how  many 
atrocious  crimes  lie  lias  committed.  He  killed 
my  brother  in  cold  blood  three  years  since," 
— here  the  shepherd's  face  darkened — "because 
he  defended  the  property  of  another,  and  tried 
to  save  it  from  being  stolen.  If  he  is  dead  I 
am  deeply,  profoundly  grateful !  " 

"You  need  have  no  doubt  on  that  point, 
sir,"  said  Harry.  "Jack  and  myself  saw  him 
shot  down.  There  can  be  no  doubt  of  his 
death." 

"  I  believe  you  speak  the  truth.  You  don't 
look  as  if  you  were  deceiving  me.  So  you 
took  the  opportunity  to  give  the  bushrangers 
legbail,  eh?" 

"We  didn't  stay  to  bid  them  good-by," 
said  Harry,  smiling.  "We  ran  till  we  were 
out  of  breath,  but  saw  no  one  on  our  track. 
Probably  it  was  some  time  before  we  were 
thought  of,  and  our  escape  noticed.  We 
have  been  walking  ever  since,  and  were  ready 
to  drop  with  hunger  and  fatigue  when  we 
espied  the  light  of  your  cottage,  and  ventured 
to  ask  for  help." 

"  You  are  welcome  to  all  that  we  can  do  for 


138  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

you,"  said  the  shepherd,  his  tone  changing. 
"  I  was  suspicious  at  first,  for  the  bushrangers 
are  up  to  all  sorts  of  tricks,  but  the  news  you 
have  brought  insures  you  a  welcome.  At  last 
my  poor  brother  is  avenged,  and  the  blood- 
thirsty villain  who  killed  him  has  gone  to  his 
account.  You  don't  know  who  is  elected  in 
his  place?" 

"  No,  sir,  we. came  away  at  once." 

"  Of  course,  of  course ;  I  should  have  thought 
of  that." 

"  I  hope  it  isn't  Fletcher,"  said  Jack. 

"  Ha  !  what  do  you  know  of  Dick  Fletcher  ?  " 

"More  than  we  want  to.  He  it  was  who 
passed  himself  off  on  us  as  a  returned  miner, 
and  betrayed  us  into  the  hands  of  his  com- 
rades." 

"  I  know  of  him,  too.  He  would  be  as  bad 
as  the  captain  if  he  dared,  but  he  is  a  coward. 
His  turn  will  come  after  a  while.  But,  Lucy," 
— here  he  addressed  his  daughter, — "you  are 
not  treating  your  guests  very  well.  Where  are 
your  potatoes  and  other  vegetables  ? " 

"They  were  so  hungry  they  preferred  not 
to  wait  for  them,  papa." 


A   WELCOME   IX   THE   WILDS.  139 

"You  may  put  them  in  the  pot  now.  I 
want  them,  and  I  think  our  young  friends  will 
be  able  to  eat  them  later." 

"You  are  very  kind,  sir,  but  I  am  afraid 
Jack  and  I  will  not  be  able  to  compensate  you. 
The  bushrangers  took  all  we  had,  and  left  us 
penniless." 

"I  don't  want  your  money,  boy.  You  are 
welcome  to  all  you  get  in  this  house.  We 
don't  have  visitors  very  often.  When  they  do 
come,  they  have  no  bills  to  pay." 

"  Unless  they  are  bushrangers,  father  !  " 
said  Lucy  with  a  smile. 

"If  they  are  bushrangers,  they  will  meet 
with  a  still  warmer  reception,"  said  the  shep- 
herd grimly.  "And  now,  daughter,  hurry  up 
supper,  for  I  have  a  very  fair  appetite  my- 
self." 

Lucy  moved  about  quietly  but  actively  in 
obedience  to  her  father's  directions.  An  hour 
later,  or  perhaps  less,  the  table  was  spread 
once  more,  and  all  got  up  to  it.  The  boys, 
though  the  edge  of  their  appetite  was  taken 
away,  managed  to  eat  the  vegetables  with  a 
relish,  not  having  had  a  chance  to  eat  any  for 


140  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

a  considerable  time,  except  at  their  hotel  in 
Melbourne. 

After  supper  they  sat  down  beside  the  fire 
and  talked.  Living  so  much  alone,  the  shep- 
herd and  his  daughter  were  anxious  to  hear 
all  that  the  boys  could  tell  them  of  the  great 
world  from  which  they  lived  aloof.  Later  in 
the  evening,  the  shepherd,  whose  name,  by  the 
way,  was  Andrew  Campbell,  said,  "Now,  let  us 
have  a  little  music.  Lucy,  bring  me  the  bag- 
pipe." 

His  daughter  went  into  an  adjoining  room, 
and  brought  out  a  Highland  bagpipe,  which 
Campbell  received,  and  straightway  began  to 
play  upon  it  some  characteristic  Scotch  tunes. 
It  was  louct  and  harsh,  but  the  boys  enjoyed  it 
for  want  of  better. 

"Don't  you  sing,  Miss  Lucy  ? "  asked  Harry, 
when  her  father  laid  down  the  instrument. 

"No,"  answered  the  girl,  smiling.  "  I  wish 
I  did.  Father  is  very  fond  of  singing." 

"Aye,  am  I;  Lucy's  mother  sang,  but  the 
gift  has  not  descended  to  her." 

"  Harry  is  a  professional  singer,"  said  Jack. 
"  He  sings  in  public." 


A   WELCOME   IN   THE   WILDS.  141 

"  Please  sing  something,  then,"  pleaded 
Lucy. 

"  If  you  really  wish  it,"  answered  Harry. 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  you,  young  sir," 
said  the  shepherd. 

Harry  hesitated  no  longer,  but  sang  at  once, 
choosing  such  Scotch  melodies  as  he  knew  in 
preference.  The  shepherd's  eyes  glistened, 
and  he  was  evidently  much  moved. 

"It  calls  back  my  early  days,  when  as  a 
lad  I  trod  the  heath  in  Scotland,"  he  said. 
"  You  are  a  fine  singer.  I  don't  mind  when  I 
have  enjoyed  an  evening  as  much." 

"  I  am  very  glad,  sir,  if  I  have  been  able  in 
this  way  to  repay  your  kindness,"  said  Harry. 

"  Don't  speak  of  it,  lad,"  said  the  shepherd, 
lapsing  into  his  Scotch  mode  of  speech. 
"We  shan't  miss  the  bit  sup  we  have  given 
you." 

At  nine  o'clock  all  retired  for  the  night,  for 
the  shepherd  must  be  up  early  in  the  morning 
to  look  after  his  flocks.  Harry  and  Jack  slept 
in  a  small  room  back.  They  were  very  tired, 
arid  fell  asleep  as  soon  as  their  heads  struck 
the  pillow. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

A   DANGEROUS   ACQUAINTANCE. 

HOUGH  the  boys  were  very  much  fatigued 
JL  they  were  up  in  time  for  an  early  break- 
fast the  next  morning.  It  consisted  of  mutton- 
chops,  potatoes,  bread,  and  coffee,  and  they 
were  prepared,  notwithstanding  their  hearty 
supper  of  the  night  before  to  do  full  justice 
to  it. 

The  shepherd  had  got  over  his  first  impres- 
sion, and  nothing  could  be  more  friendly  than 
his  manner  toward  them.  He  gave  a  still 
stronger  proof  of  his  confidence  and  friend- 
ship. 

"So  you  think  of  going  to  the  mines,  my 
lads,"  he  said. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"I  don't  know  about  the  wisdom  of  your 
plans.  It  isn't  all  that  find  the  gold  they  look 
for.  Are  you  expecting  to  come  back  with 
fortunes?" 

143 


A   DANGEROUS   ACQUAINTANCE.  143 

"They  would  not  be  unwelcome,  sir,"  said 
Harry,  "but  we  shall  at  any  rate  like  the 
advantage  of  it,  and  we  are  young  enough  to 
try  experiments." 

"That's  true;  but  about  the  gold  I'm 
thinldn'  you'll  be  disappointed.  At  any  rate 
I'll  make  you  an  offer — the  two  of  you.  Stay 
here  and  help  me  tend  sheep.  I'll  give  you 
your  living  and  clothes,  and  when  you  are 
twenty-one,  I  will  make  you  a  present  of  a 
hundred  sheep  each  to  start  in  business  for 
yourselves." 

The  proposal  took  Harry  and  Jack  by  sur- 
prise. They  could  not  but  observe  that 
Lucy's  face  brightened  with  hope,  as  she 
awaited  their  answer.  It  was  clear  that  she 
hoped  it  would  be  favorable.  It  must  be 
acknowledged  that  this  made  a  considerable 
impression  upon  them.  Lucy  was  a  pretty 
girl,  and  they  felt  flattered  by  her  desire  that 
they  should  remain.  But  their  resolution  was 
only  shaken,  not  changed.  They  had  but  to 
look  about  them  at  the  unbroken  solitude  to 
feel  that  life  under  such  circumstances  would 
be  unendurable.  Both  of  them  had  led  lives 


144  IN   A   NEW    WORLD. 

of  activity  and  excitement,  and  neither  felt 
prepared  to  settle  down,  but  they  felt  grate- 
ful. 

"Jack  and  I  thank  you  for  your  kindness, 
Mr.  Campbell,"  said  Harry,  "and  consider 
your  offer  a  good  one.  But  it  would  be  lonely 
for  us  here,  and,  though  we  may  change  our 
minds,  we  would  like  to  try  the  gold-fields 
first." 

"It's  only  natural,  lads,"  said  the  shepherd. 
"You  are  young,  and  you  crave  excitement. 
When  you  are  as  old  as  I  am,  you  won't  mind 
the  quiet.  Go,  then,  to  Bendigo,  but  if  you 
have  bad  luck,  come  back  here,  and  you  shall 
be  welcome  to  stay  as  long  as  you  like,  and  to 
accept  my  offer  if  you  feel  like  it  then." 

"I  am  sorry  you  won't  stay,"  said  Lucy, 
with  a  shade  of  sadness. 

"I  wish  we  could  be  contented  to  do  so," 
said  Harry.  "  You  may  be  sure  we  won't  for- 
get your  kindness,  Miss  Campbell." 

"Do  you  mean  me  ?"  asked  Lucy,  smiling. 
"  I  never  was  called  Miss  Campbell  before." 

"I  will  say  Lucy,  if  you  will  allow  me." 

"  I  would  rather  you  did." 


A   DANGEROUS   ACQUAINTANCE.  145 

"  Then  good-by,  Lucy.  We  shall  always 
remember  you." 

*'  And  you  will  come  back  some  day  ? " 

"If  we  can." 

"Then  good-by,  and  don't  forget  your 
promise." 

There  was  a  suspicious  moisture  in  the  girl's 
eyes,  for  she  knew  that  when  the  young  visi- 
tors were  gone  she  would  feel  lonelier  than 
ever. 

"That's  a  nice  girl,  Jack,"  said  Harry  after 
a  pause. 

"That's  so,  Harry.  I  never  saw  a  girl  so 
nice  before,"  responded  Jack  emphati- 
cally. 

"Do  you  know,  Jack,"  said  Harry,  turning 
to  him  with  a  smile,  "it  is  just  as  well  we  are 
going  away." 

"What  do  you  mean,  Harry  ?  " 

"  If  we  stayed  here  till  Ave  were  both  young 
men,  we  might  both  fall  in  love  with  Lucy, 
and  quarrel  over  her." 

"  I  might  fall  in  love  with  her,  but  I  would 
never   quarrel  with  you,   Harry,"    said  Jack 
affectionately. 
10 


146  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"No,  Jack,  I  don't  think  you  would. 
Nothing  shall  ever  divide  us." 

11  You  are  very  kind  to  a  poor  sailor  boy," 
said  Jack.  "  You  know  a  great  deal  more 
than  I,  and  I  am  not  fit  to  be  your  friend." 

"  Take  care,  Jack,  I  may  quarrel  with  you 
if  you  say  anything  against  yourself  Fit  or 
unfit,  you  are  my  chosen  friend,  and  I  should 
not  be  willing  to  exchange  you  for  anyone 
else  I  have  ever  met." 

"  Not  even  for  Montgomery  Clinton  ?"  said 
Jack  archly. 

"Not  even  for  him,  with  all  his  stock  of 
trousers." 

Reference  was  made  to  a  young  man  from 
Brooklyn,  a  fellow  passenger  on  the  ship 
NantucJcet,  who  had  acquired  the  reputation 
of  a  dude,  and  had  afforded  much  amusement 
to  all  on  board.  He  will  be  remembered  by 
the  readers  of  the  preceding  volume,  "Facing 
the  World." 

The  boys  did  not  set  out  on  their  journey 
empty-handed.  Lucy,  by  direction  of  her 
father,  had  packed  a  basket  with  provisions 
enough  to  last  them  two  or  three  days.  The 


A   DANGEROUS   ACQUAINTANCE.  147 

shepherd  wished    also  to    lend  them    some 
money,  but  this  Harry  declined. 

"  We  might  not  be  able  to  pay  it  back,"  he 
said. 

"I  shan't  miss  it,  lads,  if  you  don't," 
urged  the  shepherd. 

"  We  might  be  robbed  of  it  as  we  were  of 
our  other  money,  sir.  We  thank  you  all  the 
same." 

But  they  gladly  accepted  the  basket  of  pro- 
visions, without  which,  indeed,  they  might 
have  fared  badly  in  that  uninhabited  wilder- 
ness. 

"How  far  is  it  to  Bendigo  ? "  Harry  had 
asked  the  shepherd. 

"Twenty-live  miles,  or  thereabouts,"  was 
the  answer. 

"  If  it  were  a  straight  road  and  good  travel- 
ling we  might  be  there  by  night." 
!     "But  it  is  neither.     You  will  be  fortunate 
if  you  reach  there  in  three  or  four  days." 

"  Give  us  the  direction,  and  we  will  try  it, 
sir." 

The  two  young  travellers,  refreshed  by  their 
night's  sleep  and  two  substantial  meals,  made 


148  IN   A   NEW   WOULD. 

good  progress,  and  by  noon  found  themselves, 
despite  the  difficulties  of  the  way,  seven  miles 
distant  from  the  station  where  they  had  re- 
ceived such  hospitable  treatment.  By  this 
time  they  were  hungry,  and  were  glad  to  sit 
down  at  the  base  of  a  gigantic  gum-tree  and 
attack  the  provisions  they  had  brought  with 
them.  They  were  in  good  spirits  and  chatted 
cheerfully.  Many  thousands  of  miles  away 
from  home,  without  a  penny  in  their  pockets, 
and  with  only  a  basket  of  provisions  between 
them  and  starvation,  they  did  not  allow 
themselves  to  be  depressed  by  their  un- 
certain prospects,  but  looked  forward  hope- 
fully. 

"Jack,"  said  Harry,  "it  seems  so  lonely 
here,  I  could  easily  believe  that  we  two  are 
alone  in  the  world." 

"  It  does  seem  so,"  said  Jack. 
.     "I  feel  a  little  like  Robinson  Crusoe  on  his 
island." 

"  Am  I  to  be  Friday  ?  "  asked  Jack,  with  a 
smile. 

Jack  had  read  very  few  books,  but  who  is 
there  who  has  not  read  Robinson  Crusoe  ? 


A   DANGEROUS   ACQUAINTANCE.  149 

"I  don't  think  you  are  of  the  right  color, 
Jack,  but  I  would  a  good  deal  rather  have  you 
than  Friday." 

They  were  not  so  far  away  from  human  com- 
panionship as  they  supposed,  as  they  soon 
learned  to  their  dismay.  Suddenly  they  heard 
a  crunching  as  of  steps  upon  the  brush,  and 
turning,  they  saw,  with  alarm,  a  tall  muscular 
man  with  matted  locks  unprotected  by  a  hat, 
a  long  untrimmed  beard,  and  a  suit  hanging 
in  tatters  over  his  gaunt,  bony  figure.  His 
eyes  were  fixed  with  a  famished  look  upon 
the  open  basket  of  provisions. 

The  boys  started  to  their  feet  in  affright. 

"Give  me  food!"  said  the  stranger  in  a 
hoarse  voice. 

Harry  took  some  bread  and  meat  from  the 
basket,  and  handed  them  to  the  stranger,  who 
devoured  them  in  silence.  His  appetite  seemed 
enormous,  and  the  boys  saw  in  dismay  that  if 
he  kept  on  there  would  be  very  little  left.  It 
was  necessary,  in  self-defence,  to  limit  the 
man's  rapacity. 

"  More,  more  !  "  he  cried,  when  he  had  eaten 
all  that  had  been  given  him. 


150  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

"  We  have  given  you  all  we  can  spare,"  said 
Harry  firmly. 

' '  Give  me  the  basket,  or  I  will  kill  you  both ! ' ' 
exclaimed  the  tramp,  his  eyes  suffused  with 
blood,  and  gleaming  with  fierce  anger. 

As  he  spoke,  he  raised  a  knotted  stick  which 
had  served  him  as  a  cane,  and  swung  it  mena- 
cingly above  his  head. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

A     RUFFIAN     FOILED. 

HARRY  and  Jack  were  brave  boys,  and 
not  easily  daunted,  but  the  attitude  of 
the  stranger  was  so  menacing,  and  his  frame 
so  indicative  of  strength,  that  they  were  both 
alarmed.  Had  their  need  of  the  provisions 
been  less  urgent  they  would  have  surrendered 
them  without  a  struggle,  but  they  felt  that  it 
was  a  question  possibly  of  continued  life  or 
starvation,  and  this  inspired  them  to  resist- 
ance. 

Holding  the  basket  in  his  hand,  Harry 
retreated  behind  a  tree,  and  began  to  parley. 

"You  are  asking  too  much,"  he  said.  "We 
have  given  you  a  meal.  We  need  the  rest  for 
ourselves." 

"No  palavering,  boy!"  said  the  tramp 
roughly.  "I  need  it  more  than  you  do. 
Give  it  to  me,  or  I  will  kill  you." 

151 


152  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

"If  I  only  had  some  weapon,"  thought 
Harry. 

While  he  was  hesitating,  the  tramp  with  a 
quick  movement  sprang  to  where  he  stood, 
clutched  him  by  the  collar,  and  flinging  him 
on  his  back  put  his  knee  on  his  breast,  saying 
between  his  closed  teeth,  "Now  I  will  kill 
yon,  young  jackanapes  !  I'll  teach  you  to 
interfere  with  me." 

Poor  Harry  thought  his  last  moment  had 
come.  He  was  powerless  against  his  enemy, 
whose  wild  rage,  shown  in  his  distorted  fea- 
tures, seemed  capable  of  anything.  His  sole 
helper  was  Jack,  who  flung  himself  on  the 
giant,  and  sought  with  his  boyish  strength  to 
pull  him  away,  but  in  vain. 

"I'll  choke  the  life  out  of  you,  you  young 
beast!"  exclaimed  the  tramp,  preparing  to 
clutch  Harry  by  the  throat.  The  moment  was 
a  critical  one  for  the  poor  boy,  whose  career 
came  near  ending  then  and  there. 

But  assistance  came  when  least  expected. 

A  man  who  had  approached,  unseen  by 
either  of  the  three,  jumped  from  the  under- 
brush and  with  one  powerful  blow  sent  the 


•  t 


A   RUFFIAN   FOILED.  153 

tramp  sprawling  on  the  ground  beside  his 
intended  victim. 

"  You're  rather  out  of  your  reckoning,  you 
mean  skunk!"  he  exclaimed.  "If  there's 
any  killin'  to  be  done  round  here,  I'm  goin'  to 
do  it." 

"Obed  Stackpole!"  ejaculated  the  boys 
in  heartfelt  delight,  and  they  were  rushing 
forward  to  greet  him,  but  he  waved  them 
back. 

"Yes,"  he  said,  "it's  Obed  himself.  I'll 
talk  to  you  in  a  minute,  after  I've  got  through 
with  this  consarned  villain." 

By  this  time  the  tramp,  though  startled  and 
dazed,  was  on  his  feet,  and  preparing  to  make 
a  desperate  assault  on  the  Yankee.  But 
though  quite  as  strong,  and  possibly  stronger 
than  Obed  Stackpole,  he  had  now  to  encounter 
a  foe  by  no  means  to  be  despised.  Moreover, 
he  had  laid  down  his  knotted  stick,  and  Obed 
had  secured  it.  It  was  a  formidable  weapon, 
and  Mr.  Stackpole  was  quite  ready  to  make  use 
of  it. 

"Give  me  my  stick!"  shouted  the  tramp 
hoarsely. 


154  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

"I  mean  to,"  responded  the  Yankee  coolly. 
"  Where  will  you  have  it  T' 

He  stepped  back  warily,  as  the  other 
advanced,  holding  the  stick  in  a  strong  grasp, 
while  he  kept  his  eyes  steadily  fixed  on  his 
opponent.  He  was  cool,  but  his  enemy  was 
enraged,  and  rage  made  him  incautious. 

He  made  a  desperate  clutch  at  the  stick,  but 
with  a  powerful  sweep  Obed  struck  him  on 
the  side  of  the  head,  and  he  fell  like  an  ox, 
stunned  and  insensible. 

"That  settles  you,  my  friend,  I  guess,"  said 
Obed.  "You  brought  it  upon  yourself,  and 
you've  got  no  one  else  to  blame.  Watch  him, 
Harry,  to  see  that  he  doesn't  come  to  himself, 
while  I  tie  his  hands." 

Obed  whipped  a  strong  cord  from  his  pockets, 
and  secured  the  wrists  of  the  prostrate  enemy, 
tying  them  securely  together. 

"Will  you  tie  his  feet,  too  ? "  asked  Jack. 

"No,  it  is  not  necessary.  He. can't  do  any 
harm  now.  I  came  in  the  nick  of  time,  boys, 
didn't  I?" 

"Indeed  you  did!"  said  Harry  earnestly. 
"He  was  beginning  to  choke  me." 


A   RUFFIAN   FOILED.  155 

"What  was  it  all  about?" 

"  We  bad  given  him  a  meal,  but  lie  wanted 
to  make  off  with  the  basket  besides.  As  this 
would  have  left  us  utterly  without  food,  I 
objected." 

"The  mean  skunk!  I'm  glad  I  came  up  in 
time  to  settle  him." 

"Won't  you  have  something  to  eat  your- 
self, Mr.  Stackpole?"  asked  Harry,  bethinking 
himself  that  his  deliverer  might  need  refresh- 
ment. 

"I  don't  mind  if  I  do,"  answered  Obed. 
"The  fact  is,  I'm  feeling  kinder  hollow.  I 
feel  a  griawin'  at  my  vitals  that  isn't  pleasant. 
This  is  prime  fodder  ;  where  did  you  raise 
it?"  . 

While  Obed  was  eating — with  hearty  relish, 
it  may  be  added — Harry  related  briefly  what 
had  befallen  Jack  and  himself  since  they  had 
parted  company. 

"You're  in  luck,  boys,"  was  Obed's  com- 
ment. "You  fared  better  than  I,  for  you've 
had  your  square  meals,  while  I've  had  only 
one  besides  this." 

"  Where  was  that  ? "  asked  Harry. 


156  IN   A   NEW  WORLD. 

"At  the  same  place  where  you  passed  the 
night.  I  got  there  about  an  hour  after  you 
left,  as  well  as  I  can  make  out.  The  gal  was 
very  kind,  and  gave  me  a  tip-top  breakfast.  I 
ate  till  I  was  ashamed,  and  then  left  off  hun- 
gry. That's  why  I've  got  such  an  appetite 
now.  Yesterday  I  didn't  have  but  one  meal, 
and  I've  had  to  make  up  for  that." 

"  Did  Lucy  tell  you  we  had  passed  the  night 
at  her  father's  house  ?  " 

"Lucy!  Seems  to  me  you  got  mighty 
familiar,"  said  Obed  in  a  jocular  tone.  "  She 
didn'  t  tell  me  what  her  name  was.  I  suppose 
she  looked  upon  me  as  a  dried-up  old  bach." 

"She's  a  nice  girl,"  said  Harry  emphatically. 

"  So  she  is.  I'm  with  you  there.  But 
about  your  question — I  asked  her  if  she  had 
seen  anything  of  two  chaps  about  your  size, 
and  she  told  me  enough  to  show  me  I  was  on 
your  track.  She  told  me  which  way  you 
went,  and  I  follered.  She  was  a  little  shy  at 
first,  not  knowin'  but  I  might  be  an  enemy  of 
yours,  but  when  she'd  made  up  her  mind  to 
the  contrary  she  up  and  told  me  everything. 
Well,  I  struck  your  trail,  and  here  I  am." 


A   RUFFIAN   FOILED.  157 

"  I  for  one  am  delighted  to  see  you,  Obed," 
said  Harry  cordially. 

"  And  I  for  two,"  added  Jack,  smiling. 

Mr.  Stackpole  seemed  gratified  by  the  pleas- 
ure evinced  by  the  boys. 

"Well,"  he  said,  "we're  together  once 
more,  and  now  we  must  hold  a  council  of  war, 
and  decide  what's  to  be  done." 

"  With  him  ?  "  asked  Jack,  pointing  to  the 
tramp. 

"  With  him  first  of  all ;  I  take  it  you  don't 
want  me  to  invite  him  to  join  our  party  ?  " 

"His  room  is  better  than  his  company," 
said  Harry. 

"  I  agree  with  you.  According  to  my  idea, 
we  may  as  well  leave  him  where  he  lies." 

"But  won't  he  starve  3 " 

"He  can  get  his  hands  free  after  awhile," 
said  Obed,  "  but  not  till  after  we  are  at  a  safe 
distance.  You  needn't  be  afraid  about  him. 
Anyhow  the  world  wouldn't  lose  much  if  he 
did  take  passage  for  another." 

" That's  so,  Obed,  but  I  wouldn't  like  to  feel 
that  we  were  responsible  for  his  death." 

At  this  moment  the  prostrate  man  opened 


158  IN  A  NEW  WOELD. 

his  eyes,  and  as  his  glance  lighted  on  Obed, 
they  gleamed  with  the  old  look  of  rage.  He 
tried  to  get  up,  and  of  course  discovered  that 
his  hands  were  tied. 

"Loosen  my  hands,  you  scoundrel!"  he 
exclaimed. 

"If  you  mean  me  by  that  pet  name,  my 
esteemed  friend,"  said  Obed,  "I  respectfully- 
decline.  I'd  rather  look  at  you  with  your 
hands  tied." 

"  Do  you  want  me  to  kill  you  ?  "  demanded 
the  tramp  furiously. 

"Not  at  present!  when  I  do  I'll  let  you 
know.  Come,  boys,  we  may  as  well  be  going. 
This  gentleman  would  rather  be  left  alone." 

"Unloose  me  first,  and  I  won't  harm  you," 
said  the  other,  trying  to  struggle  to  his  feet. 

"I  don't  mean  you  shall.  Good-by,  my 
friend.  I  can't  say  I  wish  to  meet  you  again. 
I  will  take  the  liberty  to  carry  off  your  stick, 
as  you  won't  need  it  with  your  hands  tied." 

Obed  and  the  boys  started  off,  followed  by 
the  most  fearful  execrations  from  their  late 
acquaintance.  They  had  scarcely  gone  a 
quarter  of  a  mile  when  they  met  two  mounted 


A   RUFFIAN   FOILED.  159 

police,  who  halted  their  horses  and  inquired : 
"Have  you  seen  anything  of  a  man,  tall  and 
spare,  dark  hair  and  eyes.  We  have  traced 
him  to  this  neighborhood,  and  think  he  must 
be  near." 

"What  has  he  done?"  asked  Obed  curi- 
ously. 

"Murdered  a  man  at  the  mines,  in  a 
drunken  brawl." 

"We've  just  parted  company  with  him," 
said  Obed.  "I  found  him  experimentin'  on 
my  young  friend  here,  but  come  up  in  time  to 
block  his  game." 

"  Put  us  on  his  track,  and  we  will  share  the 
reward  of  a  hundred  pounds  with  you." 

"I'll  do  it.  Boys,  stay  here  and  I'll  go 
back  with  these  gentlemen.  I'll  join  you  in  an 
hour." 

Obed  was  as  good  as  his  word.  Within  an 
hour  he  was  back  again,  with  the  two  police- 
men, followed  by  the  man  whom  we  have 
called  the  tramp. 

His  hands  were  more  securely  fastened  now 
by  a  pair  of  handcuifs. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

THE  BOYS   ARRIVE  AT   BENDIGO. 

" "  \f  OU  are  entitled  to  half  the  reward 
_L  offered  for  the  apprehension  of  this 
man,"  said  the  leader  of  the  police  to  Obed 
Stackpole.  "I  congratulate  you.  Fifty 
pounds  is  a  sum  not  to  be  despised." 

"Especially  when  a  man  has  been  robbed 
of  all  he  possesses  by  bushrangers,"  said 
Obed.  "If  you'll  excuse  me,  captain,  why 
does  your  government  allow  them  rascals  to 
roam  round  the  country,  plundering  and  kill- 
ing honest  men?" 

The  captain  of  police  shrugged  his  shoul- 
ders. 

"  We  can't  help  it,  my  good  man.  We  do 
all  we  can,"  he  answered. 

"  In  my  country  we  would  soon  put  a  stop 
to  it." 

"  You  mean  America  ? " 

160 


THE   BOYS   ARRIVE   AT   BENDIGO.  161 

"  Yes ;  the  land  of  the  Stars  and  the  Stripes," 
said  Obed  proudly. 

"It  is  more  difficult  here,"  observed  the 
police  captain.  "The  nature  of  the  country 
makes  pursuit  difficult.  Besides,  we  have  had 
so  many  convicts  sent  out  here  in  past  years 
that  there  is  a  large  proportion  of  lawless 
men  in  the  colony.  Some  of  these  men  have 
made  themselves  very  formidable.  There  is 
Captain  Stockton,  for  instance." 

"  Was,  you  mean,  captain." 

"  I  don't  understand  you." 

"Captain  Stockton  is  dead." 

"  Do  you  mean  this  ?  How  do  you  know  1 " 
inquired  the  captain  of  police  eagerly. 

"  He  was  killed  yesterday  by  one  of  his 
men." 

"What  evidence  have  you  of  this?"  de- 
manded the  captain  incredulously. 

"  Them  two  boys  saw  him  shot,"  said  Obed, 
indicating  Harry  and  Jack. 

"Tell  me  all  about  it,  young  man,"  said  the 

captain  to  Harry.     "  It  will  be  good  news  at 

Bendigo.      Returning  miners  are  always    in 

fear   of    this    famous    bushranger,    Stockton. 

11 


162  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

He  doesn't  care  so  much  to  attack  parties 
bound  to  the  mines,  for  they  are  not  supposed 
to  have  much  with  them,  but  those  returning 
to  Melbourne  generally  carry  more  or  less 
gold,  and  are  worth  capturing." 

Harry  gave  a  succinct  account  of  his  adven- 
tures while  in  the  power  of  the  bushrangers, 
and  the  scene  of  which  he  had  been  a  witness. 
The  captain  of  police  listened  attentively. 

"This  is  good  news,"  he  remarked.  "  There 
will  be  a  new  captain  appointed,  of  course, 
but  there  is  not  another  man  connected  with 
the  gang  who  can  take  Stockton's  place  or  do 
as  much  mischief  as  he  has  done." 

"How  far  are  we  from  Bendigo,  captain  ?  " 
asked  Obed. 

"  Two  days'  journey,  or  perlinps  more." 

"A  long  distance,  considering  we  have.no 
money." 

"You  will  have  half  the  reward.  Your 
share  will  be  fifty  pounds." 

"That  won't  do  us  any  good  now,  unless 
you'll  be  kind  enough  to  advance  us  a  part  of 
that  sum." 

"  I  would  if  I  were  able,  but  I  am  not  pro- 


THE   BOYS   ARRIVE  AT   BE^DIGO.  163 

vided  with  any  money  beyond  what  I  need. 
You  and  the  boys  may  come  with  us,  however, 
if  you  wish." 

"I  should  like  nothing  better,  captain. 
Once  at  Bendigo,  and  we'll  manage  to  shift  for 
ourselves." 

"  Very  well,  so  let  it  be." 

I  pass  over  the  events  of  the  next  two  days. 
Obed  and  the  boys,  after  all  their  troubles, 
found  themselves  provided  with  an  official 
escort,  and  on  the  morning  of  the  third  day 
arrived  at  the  famous  gold-fields  of  Bendigo. 

Ballarat  and  Mount  Alexander  preceded 
Bendigo  in  point  of  time,  but  Bendigo  has 
been  far  more  productive.  As  the  little  paity 
descended  a  hill  made  white  by  the  sandy  dirt 
thrown  out  of  the  mines,  they  saw  below  them 
Bendigo  Creek,  yellow  as  the  Tiber,  running 
sluggishly  through  the  valley,  which  on  either 
side  had  been  dug  up  by  prospectors  for  gold. 
All  about  on  the  slopes  of  the  hills  and  in  the 
valley  were  rude  huts,  hastily  put  together, 
the  homes  of  the  miners.  Some  of  them  were 
built  of  solid  trunks  of  trees  laid  horizontally, 
after  the  American  backwoods  order  of  archi- 


164  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

lecture.  The  interstices  were  general!  y  daubed 
with  clay  to  make  them  water-tight,  and  the 
roofs  were  covered  with  sheets  of  bark,  kept 
down  by  logs  laid  upon  them.  There  were 
tents,  also,  made  of  slabs,  and  covered  with 
canvas.  Still  others  were  covered  with  bul- 
lock hides. 

To  Harry  and  Jack  the  sight  was  a  novel 
one,  and  they  regarded  the  extemporized  vil- 
lage with  interest. 

Obed's  eyes  glistened,  and  he  rubbed  his 
hands  with  delight. 

"This  seems  like  home,"  he  said.  "It's 
just  like  Shantytown  in  Californy,  where  I 
worked  three  months  last  year.  I  say,  boys, 
how  do  you  like  it  ? " 

"I  shouldn't  like  to  live  here  very  long," 
said  Harry. 

"I  like  shipboard  better,"  said  Jack. 

"  I  agree  with  you,  boys,"  said  Obed,  "but 
it  '11  suit  me  well  enough  if  I  can  find  enough 
gold  here.  When  I've  made  my  pile,  Aus- 
traly  won't  hold  me  long.  I  shall  make 
tracks  for  America.  We  have  no  bushrangers 
there." 


THE   BOYS   AR11IVE   AT   BENDIGO.  165 

"But  you  have  Indians,"  retorted  the 
police  captain,  who  did  not  quite  relish  the 
strictures  upon  the  co7ony  of  which  he  was  an 
official.  "  I  would  rather  be  captured  by  a 
bushranger  than  scalped  by  an  Indian." 

"  I  agree  with  you,  captain,  but  the  Indians 
won't  scalp  you  unless  you  go  where  they  are. 
I  never  saw  one  till  I  was  past  twenty-one." 

"Indeed  !  "  said  the  captain  in  evident  sur- 
prise. "  I  thought  they  were  all  over  the 
country.  Why,  one  of  your  countrymen  told 
me  they  would  sometimes  surprise  families 
within  ten  miles  of  your  great  city  of  New 
York,  and  scalp  them  all.  He  said  he  was 
brought  up — raised,  he  called  it — twenty  miles 
aAvay.  and  was  obliged  to  barricade  the  doors 
and  windows  every  night,  and  keep  a  supply 
of  loaded  muskets  by  the  side  of  his  bed,  to 
resist  the  Indians  in  case  they  made  a  night 
attack." 

Obed  laughed  till  the  tears  came  to  his  eyes, 
and  the  two  boys  also  looked  amused. 

"Did  you  believe  all  this,  captain?"  lie 
asked. 

"Why  not?"   asked  the  captain,  looking 


166  IN   A   NEW  WOELD. 

offended.  "  My  informant  was  a  countryman 
of  yours." 

"He  was  stuffing  you,  captain." 

"Stuffing  me  !  I  don't  understand,"  said 
the  captain,  puzzled. 

"He  saw  that  you  knew  very  little  of 
America,  and  he  practised  a  little  on  your 
credulity — isn't  that  the  word  \ " 

"How  do  I  know  but  you  are  doing  the 
same  now  ?  Probably  you  want  to  give  me  a 
favorable  idea  of  your  country." 

"  I  only  want  you  to  judge  it  correctl}7", 
captain.  Why,  there  aint  no  more  danger  of 
being  scalped  in  New  York  than  in  London." 

"I  presume  not,  in  New  York,  but  I  am 
speaking  of  the  neighborhood  of  New  York." 

"So  am  I.  I'll  tell  you  what,  captain,  if 
you  can  find  me  a  case  .".fa  man  that's  been 
scalped  within  five  hundred  miles  of  New 
York  within  the  last  fifty  years,  I'll  give  you 
my  share  of  the  reward.  Of  course  if  it's  in 
Canada,  it  don't  count." 

"I  can't  accept  any  such  wager.  I  have  no 
means  of  proving  it,  even  if  it  is  so." 

"That's  true,  squire;  but  I'll  give  you  an 


THE   BOYS   ARRIVE    AT    BENDIGO.  167 

idea.  Harry,  how  many  Indians  have  you 
ever  seen  in  your  life  ?  " 

"About  half  a  dozen,"  answered  Harry, 
after  a  pause  for  reflection. 

"And  yon,  Jack?" 

"  I  never  saw  one  that  I  can  remember." 

"  And  yet  you  were  both  born  in  the  States. 
You  see,  captain,  Indians  are  not  so  abundant 
in  our  country  as  you  supposed.  Jack  lias 
never  seen  an  Indian,  but  he  has  seen  a  bush- 
ranger ;  eh,  Jack?" 

"I  have  seen  more  than  I  wanted  to,"  an- 
swered Jack,  smiling. 

By  this  time  they  had  descended  the  hill, 
and  were  on  the  borders  of  the  mining  settle- 
ment. They  had  now  attracted  the  attention 
of  the  miners,  and  when  the  prisoner  was 
recognized  there  went  up  an  angry  shout,  and 
a  band  of  swarthy,  bearded  men  advanced 
menacingly  to  meet  them. 

"Give  him  to  us  !  "  they  cried.  "  Give  up 
the  murderer !  We  will  make  short  work  of 
him!" 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

BUYING   A   CLAIM. 

THE  face  of  the  prisoner,  as  lie  met  the 
angry  glances  of  the  miners,  betrayed 
extreme  fear.-  In  spite  of  his  terrible  crime, 
Harry  could  not  help  pitying  him  when  he 
saw  the  gray  pallor  that  overspread  his  coun- 
tenance. 

The  captain  of  the  police  was  a  brave  and 
determined  man,  and  though  his  little  force 
was  outnumbered  five  to  one  he  showed  no 
signs  of  yielding. 

"  What  is  it  you  want,  men  ?  "  he  demanded 
sternly. 

"We  want  that  man — the  murderer,"  was 
the  unanimous  cry. 

"  What  would  you  do  with  him  ?" 

"String  him  up  to  the  nearest  tree,"  replied 
a  brawny  miner. 

"There  is  no  occasion  for  you  to  punish 

168 


BUYING  A   CLAIM.  169 

him — he  is  in  the  hands  of  the  law,"  replied 
the  captain. 

"  He  may  escape.  We  want  to  make  sure 
of  him." 

"  I  will  answer  for  it  that  he  does  not  escape. 
You  know  me,  and  you  can  accept  my  assur- 
ance. Is  that  satisfactory  ?  " 

There  was  a  sullen  murmur  among  the 
miners.  It  was  evident  that  they  were  not 
wholly  satisfied. 

The  captain  of  police  watched  them  keenly 
and  saw  that  there  was  danger  of  an  attack. 

He  drew  a  pistol,  and  holding  it  firmly  in 
his  hand,  said  :  "  The  first  man  that  interferes 
with  me  in  the  discharge  of  my  duty,  dies.  I 
give  you  fair  warning." 

A  determined  man  generally  carries  his 
point,  even  against  odds.  Had  the  cajjtain 
showed  the  slightest  sign  of  wavering,  the 
mob  would  have  been  upon  him.  But  they 
saw  that  he  was  in  earnest,  and  meant  what 
he  said. 

"How  long  is  he  to  live?"  asked  the 
brawny  miner  already  referred  to,  after  a 
slight  pause. 


170  IN  A   NEW  WORLD. 

"  I  shall  take  him  before  the  magistrate  at 
once,  and  you  know  he  is  not  likely  to  defer 
punishment." 

The  police  magistrate  who  dispensed  justice, 
and  frequently  injustice,  at  Bendigo,  was 
noted  for  his  severity,  and  this  assurance 
seemed  to  satisfy  the  miners.  They  followed 
the  cavalcade,  however,  to  make  sure  that  the 
captain  kept  his  word.  It  may  be  stated  here 
that,  at  this  early  period  in  the  history  of  the 
colony,  the  judicial  forms  which  prevail  in 
other  countries  were  for  the  most  part  dis- 
pensed with,  and  punishment  was  swift  and 
certain,  especially  where  life  or  property  had 
been  attacked. 

Harry  and  Jack  followed  the  crowd  to  a 
wooden  structure  m-ore  pretentious  than  most 
of  the  buildings  roundabout.  The  magis- 
trate— whom  I  will  call  Judge  Wood — was  at 
hand.  He  was  a  short,  stout  man,  of  severe 
aspect,  and  had  a  harsh  voice. 

"Whom  have  we  here  ?  "  he  asked  quickly. 

The  captain  of  police  answered  the  ques- 
tion, relating  also  where  and  under  what  cir- 
cumstances the  capture  was  made. 


BUYING   A   CLAIM.  171 

"What  have  you  to  say  for  yourself,  my 
man  ?  "  he  asked,  turning  to  the  prisoner. 

"I  am  innocent,"  was  the  reply  in  trem- 
bling accents. 

"Of  course.  You  all  are.  I  never  had  a 
man  brought  before  me  who  was  not  inno- 
cent," said  the  magistrate  with  a  sneer. 
"  Have  you  any  accomplices  ?  " 

"Your  honor,  I  am  innocent,  as  I  have 
already  told  you." 

"Answer  my  question!"  said  the  magis- 
trate sternly. 

"No,  your  honor." 

"  Ha  !  You  alone  are  guilty  then.  Captain, 
are  there  any  witnesses  ?  though  it  is  hardly 
necessary.  The  man's  face  shows  his  guilt." 

It  will  easily  be  seen  how  much  hope  the 
prisoner  had  of  getting  off  with  such  a  judge 
presiding  at  the  trial.  Luckily  for  the  cause 
of  justice  the  man  was  undoubtedly  guilty, 
and  so  the  judicial  proceedings,  hurried  and 
one-sided  as  they  were,  did  not  entail  any 
injustice.  In  half  an  hour  the  trial  was  com- 
pleted, a  conviction  was  obtained,  and  the 
unhappy  wretch  was  sentenced  to  execution 


172  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

on  the  following  morning.  Meanwhile  he  was 
to  be  confined  in  a  structure  set  apart  as  a 
prison. 

"  Well,  are  you  satisfied  3 "  asked  the 
captain,  as  he  passed  the  ringleader  of  the 
miners. 

"I  don't  seethe  use  of  waiting  till  morn- 
ing," grumbled  the  miner.  "The  job  might 
as  well  have  been  finished  up  at  once." 

"You  can  rest  satisfied.  The  man  hasn't 
long  to  live." 

This  proved  to  be  the  case.  During  the 
night  Harry  and  Jack,  who  were  accommo- 
dated with  beds  in  a  hut  near  the  prison, 
heard  a  noise  and  a  sound  of  men's  voices, 
but  they  were  too  fatigued  and  worn-out  to  be 
thoroughly  roused.  In  the  morning,  when 
thex  left  the  hut,  they  needed  no  explanation. 
From  a  lofty  branch  of  a  gum-tree  a  hun- 
dred yards  to  the  west  dangled  the  body  of  the 
unfortunate  criminal,  a  terrible  spectacle,  con- 
trasting painfully  with  the  bright  and  cheerful 
morning.  They  learned  afterward  that  the 
prison  had  been  guarded  by  a  volunteer  com- 
pany of  miners,  who  detected,  or  feigned  to 


BUYING  A  CLAIM.  173 

detect,  the  prisoner  in  an  attempt  to  escape, — 
probably  the  latter, — and  forcing  an  entrance, 
laid  violent  hands  upon  him,  and  saved  the 
law  officers  the  trouble  of  executing  him. 

The  captain  of  police  didn't  learn  what  had 
happened  till  morning.  As  it  chanced,  Obed 
Stackpole  was  with  him  when  he  received  the 
information. 

He  took  it  very  coolly. 

"  What  are  you  goin'  to  do  about  it,  cap- 
tain 1"  asked  Obed. 

"Nothing." 

"  Do  you  allow  such  doin's  here  ?  " 

"  It  doesn't  matter  much.  The  man  was  to 
have  been  executed  this  morning  at  any  rate. 
He  only  lost  a  few  hours.  It  has  saved  us 
some  trouble." 

"  Suppose  he  was  an  innocent  man  ?" 

"  But  he  wasn't,  you  know.  And  now,  Mr. 
Stackpole,  if  you  will  come  with  me,  I  will 
see  about  your  getting  your  share  of  the 
reward." 

"Thank  you,  captain.  I  won't  deny  that 
it  '11  be  particularly  convenient,  seem'  I'm  re- 
duced to  my  last  cent." 


174  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

The  police  captain  exerted  himself  in  a  very 
friendly  manner,  and  owing  to  the  absence  of 
red  tape  which  in  an  older  settlement  might 
have  occasioned  delay,  that  same  day  our 
Yankee  friend  was  made  happy  by  receiving 
the  sum  of  fifty  pounds. 

He  called  the  boys  to  him,  and  dividing  the 
money,  as  well  as  he  could,  into  three  equal 
parts,  he  offered  one  each  to  Harry  and  Jack. 

"Now  we  start  alike,"  he  said.  "There's 
nearly  seventeen  pounds  apiece.  It  seems  a 
good  deal,  but  it,  won't  last  long  here.  We 
must  find  something  to  do  before  long." 

"That's  just  what  I  want,"  said  Harry,  "I 
came  out  here  to  work,  and  make  money,  not 
to  loaf  about." 

"That's  the  way  with  me,"  said  Jack,  but 
his  tone  was  not  so  hopeful  or  cheerful  as 
Harry's. 

"Confess  now,  Jack,"  said  Harry,  "you 
would  rather  be  on  board  ship  than  here  at  the 
diggings." 

"  I  would,"  said  Jack  ;  "  wouldn't  you  ?  " 

"Not  yet.  There  is  no  money  to  be  made 
on  board  ship." 


BUYING   A   CLAIM.  175 

"When  you've  made  your  pile,  my  lad," 
said  Obed,  "you  can  go  back  to  Melbourne, 
and  easily  get  a  berth  on  board  some  mer- 
chant ship  bound  to  Liverpool  or  New  York. 
There  is  a  great  demand  for  sailors  at  that 
port." 

This  made  Jack  more  cheerful.  He  was 
willing  to  stay  a  while,  he  said,  and  help 
Harry  and  Mr.  Stackpole,  but  in  the  end  he 
must  return  to  his  old  life. 

Mr.  Stackpole  and  the  boys  took  a  long 
walk,  and  reconnoitred  the  diggings  on  both 
sides  of  Bendigo  creek.  Toward  the  middle 
of  the  afternoon  they  came  upon  a  thin,  mel- 
ancholy looking  young  man,  who  was  sitting 
in  a  despondent  attitude  with  his  arms  folded. 

"  Are  you  sick,  my  friend  ?  "  asked  Obed. 

"  I  am  very  ill,"  was  the  answer.  "I  don't 
think  I  shall  ever  be  any  better." 

Further  questioning  elicited  the  informa- 
tion that  he  had  taken  a  severe  cold  from 
exposure  two  months  before,  in  consequence 
of  which  his  lungs  were  seriously  affected. 

"Why  do  you  stay  here,  then?"  asked 
Obed. 


176  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"I  shall  go  back  to  Melbourne  as  soon  as  I 
have  sold  my  claim." 

"What  do  you  want  for  it  \  " 

"It  is  worth  fifty  pounds.  I  will  take 
twenty-five." 

Obed  after  careful  inquiry  judged  that  it 
was  a  bargain.  He  proposed  to  the  two  boys 
to  join  him  in  the  purchase  of  the  claim. 
They  felt  that  they  could  safely  follow  his 
judgment,  and  struck  a  bargain.  So  before 
twenty-four  hours  had  passed,  the  three 
friends  were  joint  proprietors  of  a  claim,  and 
had  about  eight  pounds  apiece  to  meet  ex- 
penses till  it  began  to  yield  a  return. 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

STRIKING  LUCK. 

"  "IVTOW,  boys,"  said  Obed,  "we  have  some 

-L i  hard  work  before  us.  Mining  isn't 
like  standing  behind  a  counter,  or  measur- 
ing off  calico.  It  takes  considerable  more 
muscle." 

"I  am  used  to  hard  work,"  said  Jack,  "but 
you'll  have  to  show  me  how." 

"I'll  keep  up  with  Jack,"  said  Harry  man- 
fully. "You  won't  have  to  charge  either  of 
us  with  laziness." 

"I  believe  you,  boys.  There  isn't  a  lazy 
bone  in  either  of  you.  As  I  have  experience, 
I'll  boss  the  job,  and  all  you'll  have  to  do  will 
be  to  obey  orders." 

"All  right,  captain!"  said  Jack,  touching 
his  cap,  with  a  smile. 

This,  then,  was  the  understanding  between 
the  three,  and  it  was  faithfully  adhered  to. 
12  irr 


178  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

The  two  boys,  sensible  of  their  ignorance,  were 
very  ready  to  obey  Obed,  and  he  found  them 
willing  workers.  They  installed  themselves 
in  a  cabin  which  had  been  occupied  by  the  man 
they  bought  out.  He  gave  them  the  use  of  it, 
having  no  further  occasion  for  it  himself,  and 
they  began  to  keep  house  as  one  family.  They 
lived  roughly  enough,  and  yet,  so  high  were 
all  articles  of  food,  on  account  of  the  trouble 
and  expense  of  transportation  from  Melbourne, 
that  it  cost  them  as  much  as  would  have  paid 
for  living  at  a  respectable  hotel  in  the  States. 

All  three  entered  upon  their  labors  with 
high  hopes.  The  first  day  and  the  second  day 
yielded  no  results,  but,  as  Obed  reminded 
them,  a  miner  needs  to  be  patient.  But  when 
one  week — two  weeks — passed,  and  the  amount 
of  gold  found  amounted  to  less  than  ten  dol- 
lars, all  three  began  to  look  sober. 

"This  is  beginning  to  look  serious,  boys," 
said  Obed  thoughtfully,  as  they  set  about 
their  work  on  the  first  day  of  the  third  week. 
"Our  claim  aint  pannin'  out  very  rich." 

"My  store  of  money  is  panning  out  very 
fast,"  said  Harry,-  with  a  faint  smile. 


STRIKING  LUCK.  179 

"I've  got  less  than  two  pounds  left,"  said 
Jack.  "  What  are  we  going  to  do  when  it's 
all  gone?" 

"I  don't  know,"  said  Obed,  "unless  we 
catch  another  murderer." 

The  boys  smiled,  but  not  hilariously.  They 
felt,  as  Obed  expressed  it,  that  matters  were 
indeed  becoming  serious.  To  run  short  of 
money  nearly  ten  thousand  miles  from  home 
was  no  light  thing. 

"We  might  sell  the  claim,"  suggested 
Harry. 

Obed  shook  his  head. 

"I  don't  think  we  could,"  he  replied. 
"  Everybody  would  understand  our  reason  for 
selling — that  we  despaired  of  finding  any  gold 
• — and  instead  of  getting  twenty-five  pounds,  I 
doubt  if  you  could  get  twenty-five  shillings  for 
it.  You  know  about  how  long  twenty-five 
shillings  would  last  us." 

"I  suppose  there  is  nothing  to  do  but  to 
keep  on,"  said  Harry. 

Obed  nodded.  "You've  said  it,"  he  re- 
turned. "Let  us  keep  up  good  heart,  my 
boys.  Don't  borrow  trouble.  When  things 


180  IN  A  FEW   WOKLD. 

come  to  the  worst,  we'll  decide  what  to  do 
then." 

By  way  of  setting  the  example  of  cheerful- 
ness, Obed  began  to  whistle  "Yankee  Doo- 
dle," and  the  boys  joined  in.  It  was  not  alto- 
gether a  successful  effort,  but  it  made  them 
feel  a  little  more  cheerful.  At  all  events  it 
attracted  a  listener — a  tall,  shabby-looking 
tramp,  who  had  been  wandering  about  for  a 
day  or  two,  visiting  one  claim  after  another, 
trying  to  raise  a  loan. 

"  I  say,  you're  uncommon  jolly,  3*011  chaps," 
he  began,  as  he  stood  in  a  lounging  attitude 
watching  the  little  party  at  their  work. 

"  If  we  are  it's  a  credit  to  us,"  returned  Obed 
dryly,  "  for  there  isn't  much  to  be  jolly  about." 

"  Isn't  your  claim  a  good  one  ? " 

"That's  what  we're  trying  to  find  out. 
Where's  yours,  stranger  ?  " 

The  tramp  returned  an  evasive  answer  and 
shambled  off. 

"Do  you  think  he's  got  a  claim,  Obed?" 
asked  Jack. 

"  No  ;  but  he's  prowling  around  to  see  what 
he  can  pick  up." 


STRIKING   LUCK.  181 

"  Do  you  think  he's  a  thief  3  " 

"I  think  he's  willing  to  be.  He  heard  us 
whistling,  and  thought  we'd  found  something." 

"  We  are  safe  from  robbery — for  the  pres- 
ent. '*  said  Harry. 

"Yes,  there's  that  advantage  about  being 
poor.  It  reminds  me  of  old  Jack  Pierce  in 
our  village." 

"  What  about  him  ? "  asked  Harry. 

"  He  read  in  the  paper  one  day  that  a  cer- 
tain bank  had  burst.  So  he  went  home  in  a 
hurry  to  see  if  he  had  any  bills  on  that  bank. 
He  found  that  he  had  no  bills  on  that  bank — 
or  any  other — and  then  he  felt  better." 

Harry  laughed. 

"It  was  a  poor  consolation,  I  think,"  he 
said.  ''I  remember  hearing  a  sermon  from 
OUT-  minister  at  home  in  which  he  said  that 
riches  were  a  great  responsibility,  but  I  don't 
think  I  should  mind  taking  the  responsibility." 

"  That's  my  idee,  Harry.  I  am  afraid  there 
isn't  much  chance  of  our  having  that  respon- 
sibility, but  there's  one  thing  we  can  do  if  we 
don't  make  the  claim  pay." 

"What's  that,  Obed  2" 


182  IK   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"  We  can  join  the  bushrangers." 

"Will  you  set  us  the  example?"  asked 
Harry,  smiling. 

"I'm  not  quite  desperate  enough  yet. 
We'll  try  the  claim  a  little  longer.  But  I'm 
gettin'  tuckered  out.  We'll  go  and  get  some 
dinner  and  then  start  diggin'  again." 

They  repaired  to  their  cabin,  and  solaced 
themselves  with  food.  Then  they  threw  them- 
selves down  in  the  shadow  of  the  cabin  to  rest, 
and  Obed  pulled  out  his  pipe.  This  was  a 
solace  which  the  boys  didn't  enjoy.  They 
were  sensible  enough  to  know,  that,  whatever 
may  be  said  of  men,  boys  only  receive  injury 
from  the  use  of  tobacco.  In  the  resolution  to 
abstain,  they  were  upheld  and  encouraged  by 
Obed,  who,  veteran  smoker  as  he  was,  did  not 
approve  of  smoking. 

"You're  better  off  without  it,  boys,"  he 
said.  "It  won't  do  you  no  good.  I  wish  I 
could  leave  it  off." 

"  Why  don't  you  2  "  asked  Harry. 

"Easier  said  than  done,  my  boy.  Let  me 
see,  I  was  only  turned  of  thirteen  when  I  used 
to  slink  off  to  the  barn  and  smoke,  for  I  knew 


STRIKING   LUCK.  183 

father  wouldn't  let  me  if  he  knew  it.  It  made 
me  sick  at  first,  but  I  thought  it  was  makin'  a 
man  of  me,  and  I  kept  on.  Well,  the  habit's 
on  me  now,  and  it's  hard  to  break.  It  don't 
hurt  a  man  as  much  as  a  boy,  but  it  don't  do 
him  any  good,  either.  Jack,  did  you  ever 
smoke  ? " 

"No,  Obed  ;  but  one  of  the  sailors  gave  me 
a  piece  of  tobacco  to  chew  once.  I  didn't  like 
it  and  spit  it  out." 

"The  best  thing  you  could  do.  I  wish  all 
boys  were  as  sensible." 

In  their  hours  of  rest  the  three  often  chatted 
of  home.  Their  conversation  was  generally  of 
one  tenor.  They  liked  to  fancy  themselves 
returning  with  plenty  of  money,  and  planned 
how  they  would  act  under  such  pleasant  cir- 
cumstances. Instead  of  the  barren  hills 
among  which  they  were  encamped,  familiar 
scenes  and  faces  rose  before  them,  and  the 
picture  was  so  attractive  that  it  was  hard  to 
come  back  to  the  cheerless  reality. 

"Well,  boys,"  said  Obed,  at  the  end  of  an 
hour,  "  we  may  as  well  go  to  work  again. 
The  gold's  waitin'  for  us." 


184  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

It  was  an  old  joke,  and  scarcely  elicited  a 
smile  now.  In  fact,  the  boys  felt  that  they 
had  waited  a  long  time  for  the  gold.  It  was 
riot,  therefore,  with  a  very  hopeful  feeling  that 
they  obeyed  the  summons  and  returned  to  the 
claim.  Though  of  a  sanguine  disposition,  they 
began  to  doubt  seriously  whether  their  efforts 
would  ever  be  rewarded.  They  had  pretty 
much  lost  the  stimulus  of  hope. 

About  four  o'clock,  when  Jack  was  at  work 
with  the  pick,  something  curious  happened. 
Instead  of  sinking  into  the  earth  it  glanced  off, 
as  from  something  hard. 

"  What  is  it,  Jack  ? "  asked  Obed  quickly. 

"  I  must  have  struck  a  rock,  Obed." 

"Here,  give  me  the  pick,"  said  Obed 
eagerly. 

He  struck,  and  lo !  a  yellow  streak  became 
plainly  visible. 

"Boys,"  said  he  in  an  agitated  voice,  "I 
believe  our  luck  has  come." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Obed  2 " 

"I  believe  we've  found  a  nugget;"  and  to 
the  boys'  intense  surprise  he  immediately 
began  to  cover  it  up  with  dirt. 


STRIKING   LUCK.  185 

"  What's  that  for  ? "  asked  Harry. 

"  Hush  !  we  mustn't  take  it  out  now.  Some- 
body might  be  looking.  We'll  wait  till  it's 
darker." 

Just  then  the  tramp  before  mentioned 
strolled  up. 

"  What  luck,  friends  ? "  he  asked. 

"  Same  as  usual,"  answered  Obed,  shrug- 
ging his  shoulders.  "  Don't  you  want  to  buy 
the  claim  3" 

"Not  I,"  and  the  tramp,  quite  deceived  by 
his  manner,  kept  on  his  round. 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

KAISING  THE   NUGGET. 

'  TT'S  lucky  we  covered  up  the  gold,"  said 

-L  Obed,  in  a  low  voice.  "That's  the  last 
man  I  wanted  to  discover  our  good  luck." 

"Shan't  we  keep  on  working?"  asked 
Harry,  in  excitement. 

"I  will  just  probe  a  little  to  form  some 
idea  of  the  size  of  the  nugget,"  answered 
Obed. 

"Then  you  think  it  is  a  nugget?"  asked 
Jack  eagerly. 

"Yes,  I  think  our  luck  has  come  at  last, 
boys.  I  think  we  will  be  able  to  pull  up 
stakes  and  go  back  to  America.  But  about 
keeping  on  now,  we  shall  need  to  be  cautious. 
Someone  might  come  by,  and  see  what  we  are 
about." 

Then  Harry  made  a  suggestion. 

"  Let  Jack  go  up  to  the  top,  and  if  anyone 


RAISING  THE  NUGGET.  187 

comes  he  can  whistle.  That  will  put  us  on 
our  guard." 

"A  good  idea  !  "  said  Obed. 

So  Jack  threw  himself  on  the  ground  in  a 
listless  posture,  and  the  other  two  continued 
their  explorations.  They  dug  all  about  the 
boulder,  which  proved  to  be  about  a  foot  in 
diameter.  It  was  embedded  in  clay,  from 
which  it  was  separated  with  some  difficulty. 
It  was  encased  in  quartz,  but  the  interior  was 
bright,  glittering  gold. 

"  It's  a  regular  beauty,"  said  Obed  in  a  low 
tone,  his  eyes  glittering  with  excitement. 
"It  isn't  once  in  a  dog's  age  that  so  big  a 
nugget  is  discovered." 

"How  much  do  you  call  it  worth,  Obed?" 
asked  Harry  in  the  same  low  tone. 

"That's  hard  tellin',  Harry;  but  it's  worth, 
ten  thousand  dollars  easy." 

"Thank  God!"  ejaculated  Harry  fer- 
vently. "That  will  release  us  from  our 
imprisonment,  and  enable  us  to  go  back  to 
America." 

"You  are  right,  Harry,  but  the  hardest  job 
lies  before  us." 


188  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

"What's  that?" 

"To  get  it  out  without  observation,  and 
keep  it  secure  from  thieves." 

"We'll  do  our  best.  Only  you  give  the 
orders,  Obed." 

"  Then,  first  and  foremost,  we'll  cover  it  up 
again,  and  go  up  till  evening,  when  we  will 
secure  it,  and  carry  it  to  our  cabin." 

So  said,  so  done.  They  joined  Jack  at  the 
limit  of  the  excavation. 

"Is  it  all  right?"  asked  the  young  sailor 
eagerly. 

"  Yes,"  answered  Harry. 

"  Is  it  really  a  big  one  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  we  can  all  go  back  to  America,  Jack." 

"  And  I  can  once  more  be  a  sailor  ? " 

"  Yes,  if  you  like  it." 

Jack  was  told  of  their  plan  of  removing  the 
nugget  by  night,  and  saw  at  once  that  it  was  a 
wise  one. 

"  Shall  we  go  to  the  cabin  now?"  he  asked. 

"  No,  Jack  ;  it  won't  do  to  leave  our  treas- 
ure unguarded.  We  will  lounge  here  and 
make  sure  that  no  one  robs  us  of  our  dis- 
covery." 


FINDING  THE  NUGGET. 


RAISING  THE  NUGGET.  189 

So  they  sat  down,  and  Obed  lighted  his 
pipe  once  more. 

A  neighbor  strolled  up  and  sat  down  beside 
them. 

"  You  are  leaving  off  work  early,"  he  said. 

"Yes,"  answered  Obed  with  a  yawn,  "we 
might  as  well  take  it  easy.  It's  hard  work — 
this  mining." 

"What  luck?" 

"Our  luck  is  to  come,"  said  our  Yankee 
friend.  "  How  is  it  with  you  ?  " 

"I  have  got  out  seventy-five  dollars  this 
week,"  answered  the  other  complacently. 

"Whew!  that's  good!  What  do  you  say 
to  swapping  claims  ? ' ' 

"Oh,  no,"  answered  the  neighbor,  wagging 
his  head  jocosely.  "I'm  not  so  green.  The 
fact  is,  Mr.  Stackpole,  I  don't  want  to  dis- 
courage you,  but  I  don't  believe  you'll  ever 
see  the  money  you  put  into  this  hole.  Come 
now,  what  did  you  pay?" 

"  Five  and  twenty  pounds." 

"  If  you  can  get  five  pounds  for  it,  my  advice 
is,  sell" 

"  I  don't  know  but  you're  right,"  said  Stack- 


190  IN   A  NEW   WORLD. 

pole  in  a  rueful  tone*  "  Will  you  give  me  five 
pounds  for  it  ? " 

"  Ho,  ho  !  I  might  give  you  five  shillings, 
though  it  would  be  a  risk." 

"  Then  I  don't  think  we'll  sell,  eh,  Harry  ?" 

"We  had  better  give  it  away  than  take 
that  sum,"  said  Harry,  carefully  veiling  his 
inward  exultation. 

They  went  to  their  cabin  at  the  usual  time 
and  indulged  themselves  in  a  better  supper 
than  usual,  feeling  that  they  could  afford  to 
do  so.  It  is  wonderful  how  success  stimulates 
the  appetite. 

"  I  don't  know  when  I  have  been  so  hungry, 
Obed,"  said  Harry. 

"  I  feel  the  same  way,"  chimed  in  Jack. 

"A  light  heart  increases  the  appetite,  boys, 
but  sometimes  I've  felt  wolfish  when  my  heart 
was  heavy.  Fifteen  months  ago  I  was  in  Cali- 
forny,  and  down  on  my  luck.  Things  had 
been  goin'  contrary," and  I  hadn't  money 
enough  to  buy  a  square  meal.  I  didn't  like 
to  tell  my  friends,  bein'  a  bit  proud.  One  day 
when  I  was  feelin'  so  hungry  that  I  wouldn't 
have  turned  up  my  nose  at  a  Chinaman's  diet 


RAISING   THE   NUGGET.  191 

— rat  pie — an  old  acquaintance  met  me  and 
asked  me  to  dine  with  Mm.  Did  I  accept? 
Well,  I  should  smile.  I  did  smile  all  over  my 
face,  as  I  sat  down  to  the  table.  You'd  better 
calculate  that  I  made  my  knife  and  fork  fly. 
Finally  my  friend  remarked,  looking  kind  of 
queer,  'You've  got  a  healthy  appetite,  Stack- 
pole.'  I  answered,  'It  sort  of  runs  in  our 
family  to  eat  whenever  Ave  get  a  chance.' 
'Good  joke!'  said  he,  laughing.  But  it  Avas 
no  joke  Avhen  he  came  to  pay  the  bill,  I  tell 
you." 

"I'll  remember  that,  Obed,"  said  Harry, 
smiling,  u  and  when  I  invite  you  to  dinner,  I'll 
first  inquire  whether  you've  had  anything  to 
eat  for  a  week  back." 

"I  generally  eat  for  a  weak  stomach,"  re- 
turned Obed,  venturing  on  a  little  joke  at 
which  the  boys  felt  bound  to  laugh. 

As  they  sat  at  the  door  of  their  cabin,  they 
kept  a  good  lookout  in  the  direction  of  their 
claim.  They  could  not  afford,  noAV  that  suc- 
cess Avas  in  their  grasp,  to  have  it  snatched 
away.  But  they  discovered  no  suspicious 
movements  on  the  part  of  anyone.  In  fact, 


192  Itf  A  NEW  WORLD. 

no  one  suspected  that  they  had  "  struck  it 
rich."  So  poor  was  the  general  opinion  of 
their  claim,  that  they  would  have  found  it 
hard  to  obtain  a  purchaser  at  any  price.  Had 
there  been  the  least  suspicion,  the  camp  would 
have  been  greatly  excited. 

As  a  rule,  the  miners  retired  early.  They 
became  fatigued  during  the  day,  and  sleep  was 
welcome.  There  was,  indeed,  a  gambling 
saloon  at  some  distance,  frequented  by  the 
more  reckless,  but  generally  good  hours  were 
observed  in  the  camp. 

About  half  past  eleven,  Obed  nudged  Harry 
and  Jack,  who  had  fallen  asleep. 

"What  is  it?"  asked  Harry,  in  a  drowsy 
tone. 

"Hush  !  "  whispered  Obed.  "  Don't  make 
any  more  noise  than  you  can  help.  I  think 
it  will  be  safe  to  go  and  secure  the  nugget 
now." 

This  was  enough.  Harry  was  wide  awake  in 
an  instant,  and  he  in  turn  roused  Jack. 

There  was  no  elaborate  toilet  to  make,  for 
they  had  thrown  themselves  down  in  their  day 
attire.  They  left  the  cabin,  and  by  the  faint 


RAISING   THE   NUGGET.  '  *  193 

light  of  the  moon,  which  was  just  ready  to  re- 
tire for  the  night,  they  found  their  way  to  the 
claim  without  being  observed. 

Fifteen  minutes'  work,  and  the  task  was  ac- 
complished. The  nugget  was  raised,  and 
wrapped  in  a  red  bandanna  handkerchief, 
which  Obed  had  brought  all  the  way  from  his 
New  England  home. 

"  It  must  weigh  seventy-five  pounds,"  whis- 
pered Obed  exultantly.  "Boys,  we're  in  tall 
luck.  It  was  worth  coming  out  to  Australy 
for.  We'll  keep  it  in  the  cabin  over  night, 
and  to-morrow  we'll  put  it  where  it  will  be 
safe." 

They  gained  the  cabin  without  having  been 
seen  so  far  as  they  knew.  Of  the  hundreds  of 
men  sleeping  within  a  furlong's  distance,  not 
one  dreamed  of  a  discovery  which  was  to  draw 
the  attention  of  the  whole  colony  to  Bendigo. 
But  they  had  not  wholly  escaped  observation. 
One  pair  of  eyes  had  detected  them  in  their 
midnight  walk. 


13 


CHAPTER  XXIY. 

THE  NUGGET  IN  DANGEB. 

THE  tramp,  who  has  already  been  intro- 
duced to  the  reader,  had  spent  the  even- 
ing at  the  gambling  house,  having  come  into 
possession,  during  the  day,  of  a  small  sum  of 
money,  given  him  by  a  compassionate  miner. 
He  had  risked  it,  and  for  a  time  been  success- 
ful, so  that  at  the  end  of  an  hour  he  might 
have  left  off  with  twenty  pounds.  But  the 
fatal  fascination  of  the  game  drew  him  on  till 
all  his  winnings  melted  away,  and  he  left  the 
cabin  at  midnight  without  a  penny  in  his 
pocket,  so  far  as  he  knew.  There  was,  how- 
ever, a  shilling  which  he  had  overlooked,  and 
did  not  discover  till  he  was  already  some  dis- 
tance away.  He  was  tempted  to  return,  and 
probably  would  have  done  so,  had  not  his 
roving  eyes  discovered  Obed  and  the  two  boys 
returning  from  their  claim  with  the  nugget. 


THE  NUGGET  IN  DANGER.        195 

"What  are  they  up  to,"  he  asked  himself 
in  amazement,  "that  keeps  them  out  of  bed 
till  after  midnight?  There's  something  up. 
I" wonder  what  it  is." 

He  had  reason  to  be  surprised.  With  the 
exception  of  those  who,  like  himself,  spent  the 
night  in  gambling  (when  he  was  in  funds),  no 
one  in  the  camp  was  awake  or  stirring.  And 
of  all,  none  kept  more  regular  hours  than 
Obed  and  the  two  boys. 

Casting  about  for  some  explanation,  the 
tramp's  attention  was  drawn  to  the  burden 
that  Obed  carried. 

"  What  can  it  be  ? "  he  asked  himself  won- 
deringly.  Then,  with  a  flash  of  conviction, 
he  said  to  himself:  "A  nugget!  They've 
found  a  nugget  as  sure  as  I'm  a  sinner!" 

The  tramp  was  intensely  excited.  His  cov- 
etous soul  was  stirred  to  its  depths.  The 
opportunity  he  had  been  waiting  for  so  long 
had  come  at  length.  It  meant  fortune  for 
him.  Qualms  of  conscience  about  appropria- 
ting the  property  of  another  troubled  him  not 
at  all.  He  meant  to  have  the  nugget,  by  fair 
means  or  foul. 


196  IX   A   NEW   WORLD. 

The  would-be  thief  understood  well,  how- 
ever, that  there  would  be  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  accomplishing  his  design.  Obed  and 
the  two  boys  were  broad  awake,  and  half  an 
hour — perhaps  an  hour, 'must  elapse  before 
he  could  feel  sure*  that  they  would  be  asleep. 
In  the  meantime  it  would  be  best  to  keep 
away  from  the  cabin,  lest  someone  inside 
might  see  him  lurking  near,  and  suspect  his 
purpose. 

While  he  is  keeping  watch  from  a  distance, 
let  us  enter  the  cabin. 

Obed  and  the  boys  are  sitting  on  their  rude 
pallets,  congratulating  themselves  on  having 
secured  the  nugget,  and  removed  it  from  the 
mine  unobserved.  Harry  had  made  a  remark 
to  that  effect,  when  Obed  Stackpole  responded, 
"Do  you  know,  boys,  I  feel  sort  of  uneasy 
to-night." 

"Why?"  asked  Jack. 

"I'm  afraid  someone  might  have  seen  us  on 
our  way  from  the  mine." 

"  I  couldn't  see  anybody,"  Harry  remarked. 

"Nor  I,  but  there  may  have  been  someone, 
nevertheless.  The  fact  is,  I  never  expected  to 


THE  NUGGET  IN  DANGER.        197 

be  uneasy  on  account  of  my  wealth,  but  that's 
the  way  the  case  stands  just  at  present. 
When  we  were  poor  I  slept  like  a  top." 

"  I  suppose  you  wouldn't  care  to  get  rid  of 
your  care  by  throwing  the  nugget  away," 
Harry  said  with  a  smile. 

"I'm  not  so  uneasy  as  that  yet,  but  I 
should  feel  a  little  safer  if  we  and  the  nugget 
could  be  transported  to  Melbourne  in  five 
minutes." 

'"Suppose  someone  did  see  us?"  queried 
Jack. 

"Then  we  may  expect  a  visit  some  time  to- 
night." 

"  One  of  us  might  remain  awake,  Obed." 

"That  would  be  rather  hard  on  us,  for  we 
are  all  tired.  I  don't  believe  I  could  stay 
awake  all  night  if  I  tried." 

"  Is  there  any  way  of  concealing  the  nug- 
get?" 

"I  don't  know.  If  we  had  a  cellar  that 
would  be  a  good  place,  but " 

"Stop,  I  have  an  idea!"  cried  Harry 
eagerly. 

"Well,  Harry,  out  with  it." 


198  IN   A   NEW   WOULD. 

"  We  can  put  the  nugget  in  the  trunk." 

There  was  an  old  trunk,  covered  with  hair, 
which  had  been  left  by  the  last  occupant  of 
the  cabin.  The  lock  was  broken,  and  it  was 
not  of  much  use  or  value,  but  the  boys  occa- 
sionally used  it  as  a  seat. 

"What  security  would  that  be?"  said 
Obed.  "It  is  easy  enough  to  open  the 
trunk." 

"  I  know  it,  but  I  have  another  idea.     Wrap 

up  that  stone  in  the  handkerchief  in  place  of 

the  nugget.     The  thief — if  one  should  come — 

*  would  see  it,  and  make  off  with  it  without 

stopping  to  examine  its  contents." 

Obed  smiled  grimly. 

"That's  a  good  idea,"  he  said.  "I  believe 
you're  right,  boy.  It's  dark,  and  the  thief 
couldn't  tell  the  difference  till  he  came  to 
examine  it." 

Stones  and  fragments  of  rock  are  rare  in 
that  part  of  Australia,  and  I  am  not  prepared 
to  explain  how  this  particular  rock  found  its 
way  into  the  mining  village.  The  boys  had 
found  it,  however,  and  thinking  it  might  be  of 
some  use  had  carried  it  to  the  cabin.  Never, 


THE  NUGGET  IX  DANGER.        199 

however,  in  their  wildest  imaginings  had  it 
entered  into  their  minds  to  conceive  the  use  to 
which  they  were  now  putting  it. 

No  sooner  said  than  done.  The  nugget  was 
taken  from  the  enfolding  bandanna,  and 
dropped  into  the  trunk,  which  Obed  placed  at 
the  head  of  his  pallet. 

"  I  wish  there  was  a  lock  and  key,"  he  said. 
"I  should  somehow  feel  safer." 

"It's  no  use  wishing,"  said  Harry. 
"We've  got  to  take  things  as  we  find  them." 

"That's  true  philosophy,  boy.  Now  get 
the  rock,  and  tie  it  up." 

Harry  did  so. 

"  Where  shall  I  put  it  ? "  he  asked. 

"Anywhere  where  it  can  be  seen  easily. 
We  won't  trouble  the  thief  to  look  round 
much.  We'll  make  everything  easy  for  him." 

When  the  transfer  was  effected,  the  boys 
laughed  with  glee. 

"Do  you  know,  Obed,"  said  Harry.  "I 
shall  be  rather  disappointed  now  if  the  thief 
doesn't  come." 

"I  can  get  along  without  him,"  said  Obed 
dryly. 


200  IX  A    NEW    WORLD. 

i     "  But  it  '11  be  such  a  good  joke,  Obed." 

"I  don't  care  so  much  about  jokes  as  I  did 
when  I  was  your  age,  Harry.  I  used  to  be  a 
great  feller  for  jokes  when  I  was  along  in  my 
teens.  Did  I  ever  tell  you  the  joke  I  played 
on  the  schoolmaster  1 

"Well,  I  was  attendin'  the  district  school 
the  winter  I  was  sixteen,  and  T  expect  I  was 
rather  troublesome,  though  there  wasn't  any- 
thing downright  bad  about  me.  But  I  remem- 
ber one  day  when  I  stuck  a  bent  pin  in  the 
chair  the  master  usually  sot  in,  and  I  shan't 
forget  till  my  dyin'  day  how  quick  he  riz  up 
when  he  sot  down  on  it." 

Obed  chuckled  at  the  recollection,  and  so 
did  the  boys.  Their  sympathies  ought  to 
have  been  with  the  schoolmaster,  but  I  am 
sorry  to  say  that  did  not  prevent  their  enjoy- 
ing the  joke. 

"  Were  you  found  out  ?  "  asked  Jack. 

"  Not  exactly,  but  I  think  the  master  always 
suspected  me.  At  any  rate  he  was  always 
cuffin'  me  and  pullin'  my  hair.  I  didn't  mind 
the  fust  so  much  as  the  last.  So  one  day  I  got 
my  mother  to  cut  my  hair  close  to  my  head. 


THE  NUGGET  IN  DANGER.        201 

When  I  went  to  school  the  master  gave  me  a 
queer  look.  He  knew  what  made  me  have 
my  hair  cut.  The  next  time  I  got  into  mis- 
chief he  called  me  up,  and  instead  of  pullin' 
my  hair  he  pulled  my  ears  till  I  hollered. 
'Now  go  home  and  get  your  ears  cut  off,'  he 
said,  but  I  didn't." 

"It  seems  to  me  the  joke  was  on  you  that 
time,  Obed." 

"I've surmised  as  much  myself,"  said  Obed, 
laughing  quietly.  "But  I'm  tired,  boys,  and 
I  believe  I  shall  have  to  go  off  to  sleep,  nugget 
or  no  nugget." 

"  All  right !     Good-night,  Obed." 

"Good-night,  boys." 


CHAPTER  XXY. 

THE    MIDNIGHT   ROBBERY. 

E  thief  had  little  difficulty  in  entering 
J-  the  cabin.  No  one  in  the  mining  settle- 
ment thought  of  locking  the  outer  door  or 
closing  the  windows.  In  many  cases  the  doors 
were  left  ajar  ;  in  some  cases  there  were  none. 
It  was  not  necessary,  therefore,  to  become  a 
housebreaker.  Entrance  then  was  the  least 
difficulty. 

The  tramp,  however,  was  not  quite  easy  in 
his  mind.  He  didn't  care  for  the  two  boys, 
but  he  glanced  with  apprehension  at  the  re- 
clining figure  of  the  tall  gaunt  Yankee,  who 
was  thin  but  wiry,  and  possessed  of  more  than 
ordinary  physical  strength. 

"  If  he  should  tackle  me,"  thought  the  mid- 
night visitor  with  a  shudder,  "  it  would  be  all 
up  with  me.  He  could  shake  the  life  out  of 
me." 

But  the  stake  was  a  valuable  one — it  would 


THE   MIDNIGHT   ROBBERY.  203 

in  all  probability  make  him  comfortable  for 
life,  if  judiciously  husbanded — and  Obed's 
slumber  seemed  so  profound  that  there  ap- 
peared to  be  no  risk.  Nevertheless  the  tramp 
trembled,  and  his  heart  was  in  his  mouth  as 
he  stealthily  got  in  through  the  open  window, 
and  moved  toward  the  nugget,  or  what  he  sup- 
posed to  be  such.  He  had  one  eye  on  Obed  as 
he  reached  for  the  bundle.  It  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  he  could  lift  it,  so  heavy  wras  it,  but 
this  only  encouraged  him,  and  made  his  eyes 
sparkle  covetously.  The  heavier  it  was,  the 
more  valuable  it  must  be.  Were  it  twice  as 
heavy,  he  would  be  willing  to  carry  it  ten 
miles,  enduring  cheerfully  all  the-  fatigue.it 
might  entail.  No  thought  of  the  rightful 
owners  or  of  their  disappointment  disturbed 
him.  That  greed  of  gain  which  hardens  the 
heart  and  banishes  all  scruples,  held  firm 
dominion  over  him. 

He  lifted  the  bundle,  and  as  noiselessly  as 
he  entered  he  made  his  egress  through  the 
window. 

He  thought  he  was  unobserved,  but  he  was 
mistaken. 


204  IK   A  NEW   WORLD. 

Harry  Vane  was  usually  a  heavy  sleeper. 
He  had  slept  through  many  a  thunder-storm 
at  home,  and  under  ordinary  circumstances  he 
would  have  slept  through  this  entire  night. 
But  the  thought  of  the  nugget,  even  in  his 
sleeping  hours,  weighed  upon  him  and  entered 
into  his  dreams.  Singularly,  he  was  dreaming 
at  this  very  moment  that  it  was  being  stolen, 
and  in  the  intensity  of  his  excitement  all  at 
once  he  became  broad  awake,  just  as  the  thief 
was  disappearing  through  the  window.  With 
a  startled  look  he  glanced  toward  the  place 
where  the  false  nugget  had  been  placed. 

It  Avas  gone ! 

•Evidently  the  thief  had  been  taken  in,  and 
the-  thought  amused  him  so  much  that  he 
almost  unconsciously  laughed  aloud.  The 
sound  fell  on  the  ears  of  the  receding  thief, 
and  filled  his  heart  with  apprehension,  though 
he  fancied  it  was  a  sound  emitted  in  sleep. 
Still,  it  might  precede  awakening. 

Once  out  of  the  window  he  did  not  stand 
upon  the  order  of  his  going,  but  fled  with  a 
speed  remarkable  considering  the  weight  of 
the  bundle  he  carried. 


THE   MIDNIGHT   EOBBEET.  205 

Harry  rose  from  his  bed,  and  though  he 
felt  sure  the  thief  had  been  deceived,  he  still, 
in  order  to  make  sure,  opened  the  trunk  and 
felt  for  the  lump  of  gold.  With  a  thrill  of 
joy  he  found  it  still  there.  Then  he  could  give 
way  to  his  sense  of  amusement,  and  laughed 
long  and  loud.  He  did  not,  however,  arouse 
Jack  and  Obed,  who,  like  himself,  were  sound 
sleepers.  He  didn't  like,  however,  to  have  all 
the  amusement  to  himself,  so  he  shook  the 
Yankee  till  he  awoke. 

"What's  the  matter?"  asked  Obed,  in  a 
drowsy  tone. 

"We've  been  robbed,"  answered  Harry. 

"  What !  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Stackpole  in  dis- 
may, bounding  from  his  pallet,  now  thor- 
oughly awake.  "  What  is  that  you  say  ? " 

"  The  nugget  is  gone  !  "  said  Harry. 

"  Confusion  !  "  ejaculated  Obed.  "  When  ? 
Who  took  it?" 

"Don't  be  alarmed,  Obed,"  said  Harry 
quietly.  "It's  only  the  bogus  nugget.  The 
real  one  is  safe  where  we  hid  it." 

"  Tell  me  all  about  it,  Harry.  What  skunk 
has  been  in  here?" 


206  iy  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"You  know — the  man  that  was  spying 
about  our  claim — the  tramp." 

"Did  you  see  him?" 

"Not  till  he  was  just  getting  out  of  the 
window." 

Harry  recounted  briefly  his  sudden  awaken- 
ing, and  the  sight  that  greeted  him  as  he 
opened  his  eyes. 

"I  wish  I'd  been  awake.  I'd  have 
boosted  him  out  of  that  window,"  said  Obed 
grimly. 

"I  have  no  doubt  you  would,  Obed,"  said 
Harry,  laughing,  "but  I  think  we  needn't 
feel  much  of  a  grudge  against  the  poor  fellow. 
When  he  comes  to  examine  his  booty  by 
daylight,  it's  my  impression  he'll  feel  sick 
enough." 

Obed  laughed  too.  "I'd  like  to  be  looking 
on  when  he  makes  the  discovery,"  he  said. 
"  He'll  look  green  enough,  I  guess." 

"  How  could  the  fellow  have  found  out  that 
we  had  .found  it  ? "  said  Harry,  with  a  puzzled 
expression. 

"He  must  have  been  out  late  and  seen  us 
coming  from  the  mine." 


THE   MIDNIGHT    ROBBERY.  207 

"  It  is  lucky  we  thought  of  hiding  it,  and 
leaving  the  rock  in  its  place,  Obed." 

"  That's  so.  The  rock  came  in  handy  for 
once." 

"Do  you  think  there  is  any  danger  of 
another  visit  to-night  ?  " 

"No  ;  he  probably  won't  discover  how  he 
has  been  tricked  till  morning." 

"And  even  if  he  does  he  may  suppose  that 
this  rock  is  what  we  brought  with  us." 

"Possibly.  Still,  Harry,  I  think  we'd  bet- 
ter keep  awake  and  watch  to-night.  It  will 
only  be  for  one  night,  as  to-morrow  we  can 
make  arrangements  to  send  the  nugget  by 
express  to  Melbourne." 

"I  thought  we  should  be  carrying  it  there 
ourselves." 

"No,  it  would  not  be  safe.  To-morrow 
everybody  will  know  that  we  have  found  a 
nugget,  and  if  we  attempted  to  carry  it  our- 
selves we  should  not  get  ten  miles  away  with- 
out being  attacked,  and  perhaps  killed." 

"Then  we  can  send  it  by  express  ?  "  queried 
Harry. 

"Yes,  I  have  inquired  into  this — not  that  I 


208  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

thought  we  would  be  lucky  enough  to  need 
the  information.  The  government  escorts 
charge  one  per  cent.,  and  besides  the  Crown 
exacts  a  royalty  of  ten  per  cent." 

"That's  pretty  steep,  isn't  it,  Obed  3" 
"  I  will  cheerfully  bear  my  part  of  it,"  said 
Obed.  "I  remember  there  was  an  old  fellow 
in  our  place  who  owned  considerable  property 
— at  any  rate  he  was  taxed  for  fifteen  thousand 
dollars.  Whenever  taxes  became  due  he  was 
always  groanin'  and  predictin'  that  he'd  end 
his  days  in  the  poorliouse.  My  father,  who 
was  only  taxed  for  fifteen  hundred,  said  to 
him  one  day,  'Mr.  Higgins,  if  you'll  give  me 
half  of  your  property,  I'll  agree  to  pay  taxes 
on  the  whole,  so  that  you'll  have  nothing  to 

pay.'  " 

"Did  he  accept?"  asked  Harry,  with  a 
smile. 

"Not  much,  but  he  stopped  growlin'.  It 
may  have  given  him  a  new  idea  of  the 
matter." 

"How  soon  do  you  think  of  getting  away, 
Obed?" 

"As  soon    as   we    have  sold    the' claim," 


THE  MIDNIGHT  BOBBERY.  209 

answered  the  Yankee.  "When  it  gets 
reported  round  the  camp  what  we've  found 
there'll  be  plenty  that '11  want  to  buy  it  on 
speculation,  you  may  be  sure  of. that." 

"I  didn't  think  of  that,"  said  Harry,  his 
eyes  brightening.  "We're  luckier  than  I 
thought." 

"Yes,"  answered  Obed  jocularly,  "we're 
men  of  property  now.  I'm  afraid  we'll  have 
to  pay  taxes  ourselves  when  we  get  home." 


14 


CHAPTER  XXYI. 
A  THIEF'S  EMBARRASSMENT. 

WHEN  the  thief  left  Obed  Stackpole's 
cabin  with  his  booty  his  heart  was  filled 
with  exultation.  He  had  been  drifting  about 
for  years,  the  football  of  fortune,  of  tener  down 
than  up,  and  had  more  than  once  known  what 
it  was  to  pass  an  entire  day  without  food.  And 
all  this  because  he  had  never  been  willing  to 
settle  down  to  steady  work  or  honest  indus- 
try. He  had  set  out  in  life  with  a  dislike  for 
each,  and  a  decided  preference  for  living  by 
his  wits.  Theft  was  no  new  thing  for  him. 
Once  he  had  barely  escaped  with  his  life  in 
one  of  the  Western  States  of  America  for 
stealing  a  horse.  He  had  drifted  to  Australia, 
with  no  idea  of  working  at  the  mines  or  any- 
where else,  but  with  the  intention  of  robbing 
some  lucky  miner  and  making  off  with  the 
proceeds  of  his  industry. 


A  THIEF'S  EMBARRASSMENT.  211 

Well,  lie  had  succeeded,  and  his  heart  was 
light. 

"JSTo  more  hard  work  for  me,"  he  said  to 
himself  joyfully,  "no  more  privation  and  suf- 
fering. Now  I  can  live  like  a  gentleman." 

It  never  seemed  to  occur  to  him  that  a  thief 
could  by  no  possibility  live  like  a  gentleman. 
To  be  a  gentleman,  in  his  opinion,  meant  hav- 
ing a  pocketful  of  money. 

He  would  like  to  have  examined  the  nugget, 
but  there  was  no  time,  nor  was  there  light 
enough  to  form  an  opinion  of  it.  Besides, 
Obed  and  the  two  boys  might  at  any  moment 
discover  their  loss,  and  then  there  would  be 
pursuers  on  his  track.  He  could  not  hide  it, 
for  it  was  too  large,  and  anyone  seeing  what 
he  carried  would  suspect  its  nature  and 
character. 

The  responsibility  of  property  was  upon 
him  now.  It  was  an  unaccustomed  sensation. 
This  thief  began  now  to  dread  an  encounter 
with  other  thieves.  There  were  other  men,  as 
well  as  himself,  who  had  little  respect  for 
the  rights  of  property,  and  this  he  well 
knew. 


212  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

"  Where  shall  I  go?"  he  asked  himself  in 
perplexity. 

It  would  not  do  to  stay  in  the  neighborhood 
of  the  mining  camp.  By  dawn,  or  as  soon  as 
tidings  of  the  robbery  should  spread,  there 
would  be  an  organized  pursuit.  In  any  min- 
ing settlement  a  thief  fares  hard.  In  the 
absence  of  any  established  code  of  laws,  the 
relentless  laws  of  Judge  Lynch  are  executed 
with  merciless  severity.  Beads  of  perspira- 
tion began  to  form  on  the  brow  of  the  thief  as 
he  realized  the  terrible  danger  he  had  in- 
curred. What  good  would  it  do  him  after  all 
to  get  away  with  the  nugget  if  it  should  cost 
him  his  life,  and  that  was  a  contingency,  as 
his  experience  assured  him,  by  no  means 
improbable. 

"If  I  were  only  in  Melbourne,"  he  said  to 
himself,  "I  would  lose  no  time  in  disposing 
of  the  nugget,  and  then  would  take  the  first 
ship  for  England — or  anywhere  else.  Any 
place  would  be  better  than  Australia,  for  tliat 
will  soon  be  too  hot  to  hold  me." 

It  was  one  thing  to  wish,  and  another  to 
realize  the  wish.  He  was  still  in  the  imme- 


A  THIEF'S  EMBARRASSMENT.  213 

diate  vicinity  of  the  mining  camp,  and  there 
were  almost  insuperable  difficulties  in  the  way 
of  getting  far  from  it  with  his  treasure  safe. 

The  thief  kept  on  his  way,  however,  and 
after  a  while  reached  a  piece  of  woods. 

"Tiffs  will  be  a  good  place  to  hide,"  he 
bethought  himself.  "I  may  be  able  to  con- 
ceal the  nugget  somewhere." 

His  first  feeling  of  exultation  had  given 
place  to  one  of  deep  anxiety  and  perplexity. 
After,  he  was  not  as  happy  as  he  anticipated. 
Only  yesterday  he  had  been  poor — almost 
destitute— but  at  any  rate  free  from  anxiety 
and  alarm.  Now  he  was  rich,  or  thought  he 
was,  and  his  heart  was  filled  with  nervous 
apprehension. 

He  wandered  about  for  two  or  three  hours, 
weary  and  feeling  great  need  of  sleep,  but 
afraid  to  yield  to  the  impulse.  Suppose  he 
should  lose  consciousness,  and  sleep  till 
morning :  the  first  man  who  found  him  asleep 
would  rob  him  of  the  precious  nugget,  and 
then  he  would  be  back  again  where  he  had 
been  the  day  before,  and  for  years  back.  The 
dream  of  his  life  had  been  fulfilled,  and  he 


214  ITT  A   NEW  WORLD. 

was  in  no  position  to  enjoy  it.  Oftentimes 
God  grants  our  wishes  only  to  show  us  how 
little  they  add  to  our  happiness. 

It  was  no  light  burden — this  heavy  nugget 
which  he  was  forced  to  carry  with  him,  and, 
drowsy  as  he  was,  more  than  once  he  stumbled 
with  it  and  came  near  falling.  But  at  last  he 
saw  before  him  a  cabin — deserted,  apparently — 
and  his  heart  was  filled  with  joy.  It  would 
afford  him  a  place  to  obtain  needed  repose,  and 
there  would  be  some  means  of  hiding  his  rich 
treasure. 

He  peered  timidly  into  the  cabin  and  found 
it  empty.  On  the  floor  in  the  corner  was  a 
pallet.  He  put  the  nugget  under  the  upper 
part,  thus  raising  it  and  supplying  the  place  of 
a  pillow.  It  was  hard  enough,  as  the  reader 
will  imagine,  but  it  was  better  than  nothing ; 
and  appeared  to  combine  safety  with  a  chance 
to  rest.  t 

The  thief  fell  asleep,  and  slept  soundly. 
When  he  awoke  it  was  bright,  and  the  morning 
was  evidently  well  advanced.  In  an  instant 
consciousness  came,  and  with  anxious  thought 
he  felt  for  the  nugget.  It  was  still  there,  as 


A  THIEF'S  EMBARRASSMENT.  215 

he  realized  joyfully.  He  was  on  the  point  of 
examining  it,  when  a  step  was  heard.  He 
looked  up  startled,  and  saw  a  man  entering 
the  cabin.  This  man  was  such  another  as 
himself — an  adventurer — and  the  tramp  re- 
membered to  have  seen  him  about  the  camp. 
He  was  an  ill-favored  man,  poorly  dressed,  and 
might  have  passed  for  a  brother  of  the  first 
comer  so  far  as  his  moral  qualities  and  general 
appearance  were  concerned. 

"  Halloa  !  "  the  new  arrival  said,  gazing  with 
a  little  surprise  at  the  prostrate  man. 

"Halloa,"  returned  the  other,  surveying 
the  new  arrival  with  apprehension. 

"Is  this  your  crib?" 

"  No,  I'm  only  passing  the  night  here." 

"  Haven't  I  seen  you  at  the  mines  ? " 

"Yes,  I  have  been  there." 

"And  now  you  are  leaving,  are  you  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  exactly.  I  haven't  made  up 
my  mind." 

"  Well  I  am.     I'm  out  of  luck." 

"So  am  I." 

"  There's  nothing  to  be  done  at  the  mines." 

"  Just  my  idea !" 


216  IN   A   NEW   WOULD. 

"Humph !  what  do  you  think  of  doing? " 

"  I  don't  know.  I  want  to  get  away  for  one 
thing." 

"  So  do  I.  Suppose  we  keep  company, 
friend.  Two  are  more  social  than  one,  eh?" 

This  proposal  gave  the  first  man  anxious 
thought.  If  he  had  a  companion,  he  could 
not  hide  for  any  length  of  time  the  fact  that 
he  was  in  i>ossession  of  the  nugget.  Yet  he 
did  not  know  how  to  refuse  without  exciting 
suspicion.  The  new  arrival  noticed  it,  and  it 
stirred  up  anger  in  him. 

"  Perhaps  I  aint  good  enough  for  you  ?"  he 
said,  frowning. 

"No,  no,  it  isn't  that,"  said  the  first  eagerly. 

"  Don't  you  want  me  to  go  with  you  1 "  de- 
manded the  new  arrival  bluntly.  "Yes  or 
no." 

"Have  you  got  any  money?"  asked  the 
thief,  "because  I  haven't." 

"  No  more  have  I.  We'll  be  equal  part- 
ners." 

"Then  I'm  afraid  we  won't  g£t  very  far." 

"You'll  get  as  far  as  I  will.  But  I  say, 
what  is  that  under  your  head,  pard?" 


A   THIEF'S   EMBARRASSMENT.  217 

The  question  had  come  at  last.  The  thief 
trembled,  and  answered  nervously  : 

"It's — it's — I  am  using  it  for  a  pillow,"  he 
faltered. 

"  Let  us  see  your  pillow,"  said  the  new  ar- 
rival suspiciously. 

The  thief  came  to  a  sudden  determination, 
suggested  by  necessity.  Two  would  make  a 
stronger  guard  than  one,  and,  though  this 
man  was  not  the  one  he  would  have  selected, 
accident  had  thrown  them  together,  and  he 
would  risk  it. 

"Look  here,  my  friend,"  lie  said,  "it's  a 
great  secret." 

"Oh,  a  secret,  is  it?" 

"  Yes,  but  I  am  going  to  make  you  my  con- 
fidant. I  am  greatly  in  need  of  a  friend  and 
partner,  and  I'll  make  it  worth  your  while  to 
stand  by  me.  I'll  give  you  a  quarter  of — 
what  I  have  here — if  you',11  see  me  safe  to  Mel- 
bourne." 

"  What  is  it,  pard  %•    Out  Avith  it,  quick  ! " 

"  It's — a  nugget,  and  the  biggest  one  that's 
been  found  at  Bendigo  since  they  commenced 
mining." 


218  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

"A  nugget!  Great  Jehosbaphat !  Let  me 
see  it ! " 

The  thief  drew  the  bundle — still  wrapped  in 
Obed's  red  bandanna — from  underneath  the 
pallet,  while  ftis  companion  in  intense  excite- 
ment bent  over  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  the 
treasure. 


CHAPTER  XXVIL 

BAFFLED    CUPIDITY. 

\N  expression  of  surprise  and  dismay, 
JT_L  almost  ludicrous,  appeared  on  the  faces 
of  the  two  adventurers  as  the  contents  of  the 
handkerchief  were  revealed. 

"  Why,  it's  nothing  but  a  rock  ! "  ex- 
claimed the  new-comer,  with  an  oath. 

The  thief  stared  at  him  in  helpless  con- 
sternation, and  was  unable  to  utter  a  word. 

"What  does  all  this  mean?"  asked  the 
new-comer  sternly.  "If  you  are  humbugging 

me,  I'll "  and  he  finished  the  sentence  with 

an  oath. 

"I  don't  know  what  it  means,"  answered 
the  thief  in  a  disconsolate  tone.  "I'm  just  as 
much  surprised  as  you  are." 

"  Where  did  you  get  it  ?  How  came  you  to 
make  such  a  fool  of  yourself  ? "  demanded  the 
new-comer,  frowning  heavily. 


220  IN  A   1STEW   WORLD. 

"You  know  that  Yankee  and  the  two  boys 
who  have  a  claim  next  to  Pickett's  ?" 

"Well?" 

"  Last  night  I  was  coming  from  the  Hut"- 
that  was  the  local  name  of  the  cabin  devoted 
to  gambling  purposes — "  when  I  saw  them 
coming  from  their  claim.  The  Yankee  had 
this — rock  tied  up  in  yonder  handkerchief. 
Of  course,  I  supposed  it  was  a  nugget.  No 
one  would  suppose  he  was  taking  all  that 
pains  Avith  a  common  rock." 

"  Go  on  !     Did  you  follow  them  ?  " 

"  Yes  ;  that  is,  I  kept  them  in  sight.  They 
entered  their  cabin,  and  I  waited,  perhaps 
three-quarters  of  an  hour,  till  they  had  time 
to  fall  asleep." 

"  Were  you  near  the  cabin  all  the  time  ? " 

"  JS"o  ;  I  didn'  t  dare  to  be  too  near  for  fear  I 
should  be  observed.  I  wanted  the  nugget,  but 
I  didn't  want  to  run  any  risk." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  you  were  very  prudent," 
said  the  second,  with  an  unpleasant  sneer. 
Doubtless  he  would  have  done  the  same,  but 
his  disappointment  Avas  so  great  that  he  could 
not  resist  the  temptation  of  indulging  in  this 


BAFFLED   CUPIDITY.  221 

fling  at  the  man  who  had  unintentionally  con- 
tributed to  it. 

"  Of  course  I  was,"  said  the  first,  with  some 
indignation.  "  Would  you  have  had  me  enter 
the  cabin  while  they  were  all  awake,  and  carry 
it  off  under  their  very  eyes  ?  That  would  be 
mighty  sensible." 

"  At  any  rate,  then  you  would  have  got  the 
genuine  nugget." 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  Do  you  think  there 
was  a  nugget? " 

"Of  course  I  do.  It's  as  plain  as  the  nose 
on  your  face,  and  that's  plain  enough,  in  all 
conscience.  They've  played  a  trick  on  you." 

"What  trick?" 

"It  appears  to  me  you  are  mighty  stupid, 
my  friend.  They  hid  away  the  real  nugget, 
and  put  this  in  its  place.  That  Yankee  is  a 
good  deal  sharper  than  you  are,  and  he  wasn't 
going  to  run  no  risks." 

"Do  you  believe  this?"  asked  the  thief, 
his  jaw  falling. 

"There's  no  doubt  of  it.  They've  had  a 
fine  laugh  at  your  expense  before  this,  I'll  be 
bound." 


222  IN  A  NEW  WOELD. 

"Just  my  luck!"  ejaculated  the  thief 
dolefully.  "After  all  the  pains  I've  taken, 
too." 

"Yes,  it  is  hard  lines  on  a  poor  industrious 
man  like  you  !  "  said  the  new-comer  cynically. 
"  You're  not  smart  enough  to  be  a  successful 
thief." 

"I  suppose  you  are,"  retorted  the  other 
resentfully. 

"Yes,  I  flatter  myself  I  am,"  returned  the 
other  composedly.  "  When  I  take  any  tiling, 
at  any  rate  I  have  the  sense  to  take  something 
worth  carrying  away — not  a  worthless  rock 
like  this.  You  must  have  had  a  line  time  lug- 
ging it  from  the  mines." 

"It  nearly  broke  my  back,"  said  the  thief 
gloomily. 

"And  now  you  don't  know  what  to  do  with 
it  ?  Take  my  advice,  my  friend,  and  carry  it 
back  to  the  original  owner.  He  may  find  it 
handy  another  time." 

"I'll  be  blessed  if  I  do,"  growled  the  un- 
happy thief. 

"I  doubt  that,"  said  his  companion  diyly. 
"However,  do  as  you  please.  It  don't  inter- 


BAFFLED   CUPIDITY.  223 

est  me.  I  don't  think  on  the  whole  I  will 
accept  your  offer  of  a  partnership.  When  I 
take  a  partner  I  want  a  man  with  some  small 
supply  of  brains." 

The  first  looked  at  him  resentfully.  He  did 
not  like  these  taunts,  and  would  have  assaulted 
him  had  he  dared,  but  the  new-comer  was 
powerfully  built,  and  evidently  an  unsafe  man 
to  take  liberties  with.  He  threw  himself  back 
on  the  pallet  and  groaned. 

"Well,"  said  the  second  after  a  pause, 
"when  you've  got  through  crying  over  spilt 
milk,  will  you  kindly  tell  me  where  I  can  get 
something  to  eat  ?  " 

"I  don't  know." 

"Humph  !  that's  short  and  to  the  point.  It 
is  something  I  would  like  very  much  to  know, 
lor  my  part.  I  feel  decidedly  hungry." 

"  I  have  no  appetite,"  said  the  luckless  thief 
mournfully. 

"  You  will  have,  after  a  while.  Then  you 
can't  think  of  any  cabin  near  by  where  we 
could  get  a  breakfast  ? " 

"There's  Joe's.'" 

"Where's  Joe's?" 


224  IX  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"  Aboii  t  a  mile  from  here  on  the  road  to  the 
camp." 

"  Are  you  acquainted  with  Joe  ? " 

"Yes." 

"Is  your  credit  good  with  him  ? " 

"I  think  he  would  trust  me  for  a  break- 
fast." 

"And  me?  You  can  introduce  me  as  a 
friend  of  yours." 

"  You  haven't  been  talking  like  a  friend  of 
mine,"  said  the  first  resentfully. 

"Perhaps  not.  However,  you  must  make 
allowances  for  my  natural  disappointment. 
You  led  me  into  it,  you  know." 

"If  it  comes  to  that,  I  have  done  you  no 
harm.  Even  if  the  nngget  wasn't  real,  you 
had  no  claim  to  it." 

"You  excited  my  hopes,  and  that's  enough 
to  rile  any  man — that  is,  when  disappointment 
follows.  However,  there's  no  use  crying  over 
spilt  milk.  I  have  an  idea  that  may  lead  to 
something." 

"What  is  it?"  asked  the  thief  with  some 
eagerness. 

"  I  will  tell  you—after  breakfast.    My  ideas 


BAFFLED   CUPIDITY.  225 

don't  flow  freely  wlien  lam  hungry.  Come, 
my  friend,  get  up,  and  lead  the  way  to  Joe's. 
I  have  an  aching  void  within,  which  needs  fill- 
ing up.  Your  appetite  may  come  too — after  a 
walk." 

Somehow  this  man,  cool  arid  cjniical  as  lie 
was,  impressed  his  fellow  adventurer,  and  he 
rose  obediently,  and  led  the  way  out  of  the 
cabin. 

"I  wish  I  knew  what  was  your  idea,"  he 
said. 

' '  Well,  I  don' t  mind  telling  you.  I  believe 
the  Yankee  did  find  a  nugget." 

"Well?" 

"  You  haven't  got  it,  but  you  may  get  it — 
that  is,  we  may  get  it." 

"  I  don't  see  liow.  He  will  be  on  his  guard 
now." 

"Of  course  he  will.  I  don't  mean  that  we 
should  repeat  the  blunder  of  last  night.  You 
may  be  sure  he  won't  keep  it  in  his  cabin 
another  night." 

"  Then  how  are  we  to  get  it  ? " 

"Follow  him  to  Melbourne.  He'll  carry  it 
there,  and  on  the  way  we  can  relieve  him  of  it." 
15 


226  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"  There's  something  in  that." 

"  We  shall  be  together,  and  he  won't  take 
me  in  as  readily  as  he  did  you.  After  break- 
fast, if  we  are  lucky  enough  to  get  any,  we 
must  go  back  to  the  camp,  and  find  out  what 
we  can  about  his  plans.  Do  you  think  any- 
one saw  you  last  night  when  you  were  in  the 
cabin?" 

"No." 

"That  is  well.  Then  you  won't  be  sus- 
pected. But  I  can't  say  a  word  more  till  I 
have  had  breakfast." 

After  half  an  hour's  walking — it  was  only 
half  a  mile,  but  the  soil  was  boggy,  rendering 
locomotion  difficult— they  reached  a  humble 
wayside  cabin,  which  was  in  some  sort  a  res- 
taurant, and  by  dint  of  diplomacy  and  a 
promise  of  speedy  payment,  they  secured  a 
meal  to  which,  despite  their  disappointment, 
they  did  ample  justice. 

Breakfast  over,  they  resumed  their  fatiguing 
walk,  and  reached  the  mining  camp  about  ten 
o'clock. 


CHAPTER   XXVIII. 

THE   NUGGET   IN  SAFETY. 

-TTIATIGUED  by  their  exertions  of  the 
_IJ  previous  days  and  the  late  hours  they 
had  kept,  Obed  and  the  boys  rose  at  a  later 
hour  than  usual.  About  eight  o'clock  Obed 
opened  his  eyes,  and  noticed  that  his  two 
young  companions  were  fast  asleep. 

"It's  time  to  get  up,  boys,"  he  said,  giving 
them  a  gentle  shake. 

The  boys  opened  their  eyes,  and  realized,  by 
the  bright  sunshine  entering  the  cabin,  that 
the  day  was  already  well  advanced. 

"  What  time  is  it,  Obed  3  "  asked  Harry. 

"Past  eight  o'clock.  We  shall  be  late  at 
our  work." 

• 

He  smiled,  and  •  his  smile  was  reflected  on 
the  faces  of  the  boys.  Their  success  of  the 
day  before  made  it  a  matter  of  indifference 
whether  they  accomplished  a  good  day's  work 
or  not. 


228  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

"  What  are  we  going  to  do  about  the  nug- 
get, Obed  ?  "  asked  Harry. 

"After  breakfast  we  will  carry  it  to  the 
office  of  the  commissioner,  and  get  his  receipt 
for  it." 

"  I  shall  be  glad  to  get  it  out  of  our  hands," 
said  Jack. 

"  If  that  is  the  case,  Jack,  suppose  you  give 
your  share  to  me,"  said  Harry,  in  joke. 

"  I  didn't  mean  to  get  rid  of  it  in  that  way," 
said  the  young  sailor. 

"  You  would  be  as  ready  to  give  it  as  I  to 
accept  it,"  said  Harry.  "No,  Jack,  I  want 
you  to  have  your  share.  I  am  sure  you  will 
have  a  use  for  it." 

After  breakfast  the  three  emerged  from  the 
cabin,  bearing  the  precious  nugget  with  them. 
They  did  not  meet  anyone  on  their  way  to  the 
office  of  the  commissioner,  for  all  the  miners 
had  gone  to  their  work.  This  suited  them, 
for  until  they  had  disposed  of  the  nugget,  they 
did  not  care  to  have  their  good  luck  made 
public. 

The  royal  commissioner  was  a  stout  English- 
man with  a  red  face  and  abundant  whiskers  of 


THE   NUGGET   IX   SAFETY.  229 

the  same  color.  He  chanced  to  be  at  the  door 
of  the  office  as  the  party  appeared. 

"Well,  can  I  do  anything  for  yon?"  he 
asked. 

"  Yes,  sir  ;  you  can  give  us  a  receipt  for  this 
nugget." 

"Nngget!"  ejaculated  the  commissioner, 
fixing  his  eyes  for  the  first  time  on  the  burden 
which  Mr.  Stackpole  carried.  "Bless  my 
soul!  you  don't  mean  to  say  that  you  have 
found  a  nugget  of  that  size  !  " 

"That's  just  what  we've  done,"  answered 
Obed. 

"When  did  you  find  it  ?" 

"Well,  we  took  it  from  the  mine  about 
midniglit.  We  found  it  in  the  afternoon,  but 
calculated  we'd  better  take  possession  when 
there  wasn't  so  many  lookin'  on.  I  say,  Mr. 
Commissioner,  I  don't  think  it  would  agree 
with  me  to  be  a  rich  man.  I  got  broken  of  my 
rest  last  night,  from  havin'  the  nugget  in  the 
cabin." 

"You  ran  very  little  risk.  No  one  could 
have  found  out  that  you  had  it  in  your  pos- 


230  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"That's  where  you  are  mistaken,  commis- 
sioner. We  came  near  being  robbed  of  it  only 
an  hour  after  we  brought  it  home." 

"  Bless  my  soul !     How  did  that  happen  ?  " 

"A  pesky  thief  sneaked  in,  and  carried  it 
off,  as  he  thought." 

"  How  could  he  think  he  carried  it  off  when 
he  did  not?" 

Upon  this  Obed  explained  the  trick  to  which 
lie  had  resorted,  and  the  commissioner  laughed 
heartily. 

"Do  you  know  the  man — the  thief,  I 
mean?"  he  asked. 

"Yes,  it  is, a  man  that  has  been  prowlin' 
round  the  camp  for  some  weeks,  not  doin' 
anything,  but  watchin'  for  a  chance  to  appro- 
priate the  property  of  some  lucky  miner.  I'd 
like  to  see  the  fellow's  face  when  he  opens  the 
handkerchief  this  morning,  and  finds  the 
rock." 

"It  appears  you  have  lost  a  handkerchief, 
at  any  rate,"  said  the  commissioner,  with  a 
smile. 

"He's  welcome  to  it,"  answered  Obed,  "if 
it  will  comfort  him  any.  I  brought  it  away 


TUB   NUGGET   IN   SAFETY.  231 

from  home  two  years  ago,  and  now  I  can  afford 
to  buy  another." 

By  this  time  the  nugget  had  been  carried 
into  the  office  and  exposed  to  view. 

"It  is  a  splendid  specimen,"  said  the  com- 
missioner admiringly.  "It  is  certainly  the 
largest  that  has  ever  been  found  in  this 
camp." 

"Has  any  been  found  before?"  asked 
Harry. 

"Yes;  six  months  ago  a  Scotch  miner, 
named  Lindsay,  found  one  weighing  twenty- 
two  pounds  and  some  ounces." 

"Is  he  here  now?" 

"Yes,  and  without  a  shilling." 

"  Didn't  his  nugget  benefit  him  any  then  ? " 
asked  Harry. 

"It  became  a  curse  to  him.  He  obtained 
some  thousands  of  dollars  for  it,  and  all  went 
in  three  months." 

"  How  did  he  get  rid  of  it  ?" 

"In  drinking  and  gambling.  Two  months 
since  he  drifted  back  to  the  camp  in  rags.  He 
did  not  have  money  enough  to  buy  a  claim, 
but  being  a  good  practical  miner  he  got  a 


232  IX   A   NEW   WORLD. 

chance  to  work  a  claim  on  shares  for  another 
man,  who  had  just  come  out  from  Melbourne, 
and  who  knew  very  little  of  mining.  I  hope 
you  will  make  better  use  of  your  money.  Are 
these  boys  your  partners  ?  " 

"Yes,  Mr.  Commissioner,  they  are  equal  part- 
ners. What's  one's  luck,  is  the  luck  of  all." 

Meanwhile  the  commissioner  was  weighing 
the  nugget  on  a  pair  of  scales.  The  three 
awaited  the  result  with  great  interest. 

"It  weighs  seventy-four  pounds  and  four 
ounces,"  he  announced.  "My  friend,  it  will 
be  famous  in  the  annals  of  Australia.  If  I  am 
not  mistaken,  when  it  is  known  it  will  create  a 
stampede  to  our  mines." 

"About  how  much  do  you  think  it  will 
realize  ?  "  asked  Obed. 

"At  a  rough  guess,  I  should  say  fifteen 
thousand  dollars.  It  may  be  more  and  it  may 
be  less." 

Obed  Stackpole's  rough  face  was  fairly 
radiant. 

"I  say,  boys,"  he  remarked,  turning  to 
Harry  and  Jack,  "  that's  a  pretty  good  dny's 
work,  isn't  it?" 


THE   NUGGET    IN    SAFETY.  233 

"I  should  say  so,  Obed." 

The  commissioner  made  out  a  receipt,  which 
Obed  put  away  carefully  in  his  poclfet. 

"That's  better  than  carrying  the  nugget 
round,"  he  said. 

"  I  suppose  you  will  go  to  Melbourne,"  said 
the  commissioner. 

"  Yes,  we  shall  start  in  a  day  or  two." 

Here  Obed  paused,  for  it  occurred  to  him 
that  there  were  practical  difficulties  in  the  way 
of  carrying  out  his  plan. 

"That  is,"  he  added  slowly,  "if  we  can 
raise  the  money.  I  suppose  we  can' t  borrow 
on  the  nugget  ?" 

"No,  but  lean  suggest  a  Avay  out  of  your 
difficulties.  You  can  sell  your  claim.  It  will 
realize  a  good  round  sum,  as  the  one  from 
which  the  nugget  has  been  taken." 

"That's  so,  Mr.  Commissioner.  Thank  you 
for  the  suggestion.  Boys,  there  is  still  some 
business  before  us.  We'll  realize  something 
extra,  it  seems.  I  don't  care  how  much,  if  it's 
only  enough  to  take  us  to  Melbourne." 

Just  then  a  miner  entered  the  office,  and 
seeing  the  nugget  instantly  made  it  his  pur- 


234  IN   A  NEW   WORLD. 

pose  to  report  tlie  lucky  find  throughout  the 
camp.  The  effect  was  instant  and  electrical. 
Every  miner  stopped  work,  and  there  was  a 
rush  to  the  commissioner's  office  to  see  the 
nugget.  All  were  cheered  up.  If  there  was 
one  nugget,  there  must  be  more.  Confidence 
was  restored  to  many  who  had  been  despond- 
ing. Obed  and  the  two  boys  were  the  heroes 
of  the  hour,  and  the  crowd  came  near  lifting 
them  on  their  shoulders,  and  bearing  them  off 
in  triumph. 

Obed  felt  that  this  was  a  good  time  to  sell 
the  claim. 

"Boys,"  he  said,  "  we  struck  it  rich  and  no 
mistake.  How  rich  I  don't  know.  There 
may  be  other  nuggets  where  this  came  from. 
But  I  and  my  partners  want  to  go  back  to 
America.  The  claim's  for  sale.  Who  wants 
it?" 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

SELLING   THE   CLAIM. 

"TTET'S  adjourn  to   the   mine,"  said  Tom 

I  ^  Lewis,  a  short,  sturdy  Englishman. 

"Yes,  let's  see  the  place  where  the  nugget 
was  found,"  echoed  another. 

"  All  right !     I'm  agreeable,"  said  Obed. 

Followed  by  a  crowd  of  miners,  Obed  Stack- 
pole  strode  to  the  claim  where  he  had  "struck 
it  rich."  In  spite  of  his  homely  face  and 
ungainly  form  there  was  more  than  one  who 
would  have  been  willing  to  stand  in  his  shoes, 
homeliness  and  all.  The  day  before  little 
notice  was  taken  of  him.  Now  he  was  a  man 
who  had  won  fame  at  a  bound. 

They  soon  stood  around  the  lucky  claim. 

"  It  isn't  much  to  look  at,  gentlemen,"  said 
Obed,  "but  looks  is  deceptive,  as  my  old 
grandmother  used  to  tell  me.  '  Handsome  is 
as  handsome  does,'  and  this  'ere  hole's  done 
the  handsome  thing  for  me  and  my  partners, 


236  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

and  I  venture  to  say  it  hasn't  got  through 
doin'  handsome  things.  It's  made  three  of  us 
rich,  and  it's  ready  to  make  somebody  else 
rich.  Who'll  be  the  lucky  man  ?  Do  I  hear 
a  bid!" 

"  Fifty  pounds,"  said  Tom  Lewis. 

"That  '11  do  to  start  on,  but  it  won't  do  to 
take.  Fifty  pounds  I  am  offered.  Who  says 
a  hundred?" 

A  German  miner  offered  a  hundred,  and 
Tom  Lewis  raised  ten  pounds. 

A  Scotch  miner,  Aleck  Graham,  offered  a 
hundred  and  twenty-five. 

From  that  time  the  bids  rose  slowly.  Obed 
showed  himself  an  excellent  auctioneer — in- 
deed he  had  had  some  experience  at  home — 
and  by  his  dry  and  droll  remarks  stimulated 
the  bidding  when  it  became  dull,  and  did 
not  declare  the  claim  sold  till  it  was  clear  no 
higher  bid  could  be  obtained. 

"Three  hundred  pounds,  and  sold  to  Frank 
Scott,"  he  concluded.  "Mr.  Scott,  I  con- 
gratulate you.  I  calculate  you've  made  a 
pretty  good  investment,  and  I  shouldn't  won- 
der if  you'd  find  another  nugget  within  a 


SELLING  THE  CLAIM.  237 

week.  'Birds  of  a  featlier  flock  together,'  as 
my  writing-book  says,  and  '  it  never  rains  but 
it  ponrs.'  " 

Frank  Scott  came  forward  and  made  arrange- 
ments for  the  payment  of  the  sum  he  had 
offered.  Within  five  minutes  he  was  offered 
an  advance  of  twenty -five  pounds  for  his  bar- 
gain, which  put  him  in  good  humor,  though 
he  declined  it.  I  may  as  well  say  here,  since 
we  are  soon  to  bid  farewell  to  Bendigo,  that 
the  claim  yielded  him  double  the  amount  of 
his  investment,  and  though  this  was  not  up  to 
his  expectations,  he  had  no  reason  to  regret 
his  purchase. 

The  little  crowd  of  miners  were  just  sepa- 
rating when  two  new-comers  appeared  on  the 
scene.  They  were  the  well-matched  pair  who 
had  met  earlier  in  the  morning  at  the  deserted 
cabin.  For  convenience'  sake  we  will  call  them 
Colson  and  Kopes,  the  former  being  the  man 
who  had  stolen  the  nugget,  as  he  supposed. 

"  What's  all  this  crowd  ?  "  said  Colson  in  a 
tone  of  curiosity. 

Ropes  put  the  question  to  Tom  Lewis,  who 
chanced  to  be  passing. 


238  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

"Haven't  you  heard  about  the  nugget?" 
asked  Lewis. 

"What  nugget?"  asked  Colson  innocently. 

"That  slab-sided  Yankee,  Obed  Stackpole, 
found  a  nugget  last  night— a  regular  monster — 
and  he's  been  selling  his  claim.  I  bid  for  it, 
but  I  didn't  bid  high  enough." 

"Where's  the  nugget?"  asked  Colson 
eagerly. 

"In  charge  of  the  commissioner,  who  will 
send  it  under  escort  to  Melbourne." 

Colson  expected  this  intelligence.  Still  he 
looked  downcast.  The  chance  of  getting  hold  of 
it  under  such  circumstances  seemed  very  small. 

"What  did  the  claim  go  for?"  questioned 
Ropes. 

"Three  hundred  pounds.  Frank  Scott 
bought  it." 

"  That's  a  pretty  steep  price." 

"  Yes,  but  there  may  be  another  nugget." 

"And  there  may  not." 

"Then  he'll  be  a  loser.  Of  course  there's  a 
risk." 

"Is  the  Yankee  going  to  stay  around 
here?"  asked  Colson. 


SELLING   THE   CLAIM.  239 

"No;  lie  and  the  two  boys  are  going  to 
Melbourne.  I  believe  they  are  going  back  to 
America." 

"  It's  a  shame  that  such  a  prize  should  go  to 
Americans,"  said  Colson,  in  a  discontented 
tone. 

He  would  have  been  very  glad  to  head  a 
movement  for  robbing  Obed  and  the  boys  of 
the  proceeds  of  their  lucky  discovery,  on  this 
flimsy  ground.  But  Tom  Lewis  was  a  fair- 
minded  man. 

"I  don't  see  what  that  has  to  do  with  it," 
said  he.  "They  found  it,  and  they  have  a 
right  to  it.  Of  course,  I'd  rather  it  had 
been  me  ;  but  it  wasn't,  and  there's  an  end 
of  it." 

"  Some  people  are  born  lucky  !  "  grumbled 
Colson,  as  Lewis  walked  away.  "  I  never  had 
any  luck." 

"The  nugget  you  found  wasn't  quite  so 
valuable,"  returned  Ropes  grimly. 

"No;  I  tugged  away  for  nothing.  My 
arms  and  shoulders  are  stiff  enough  this  morn- 
ing. And  now  the  nugget  is  out  of  our 
reach." 


240  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"But  not  the  three  hundred  pounds,"  said 
Ropes  significantly. 

"  The  price  of  the  claim  ?  " 

"Yes." 

"That's  true,  but  it  won't  do  us  any  good." 

"The  Yankee  will  carry  that  with  him. 
It's  worth  trying  for." 

The  suggestion  seemed  to  strike  Colson 
favorably.  The  two  held  a  whispered  consul- 
tation, which  seemed  to  yield  mutual  satisfac- 
tion. They  were,  indeed,  congenial  spirits, 
and  agreed  upon  one  point,  that  it  was  better 
to  make  a  living  by  knavery  than  by  doing 
honest  work  for  honest  wages.  Yet  there  is 
no  harder  or  more  unsatisfactory  way  of  living 
than  this.  Ill-gotten  gains  seldom  benefit  the 
possessor,  and  the  plans  of  wicked  men  often 
fail  altogether. 

Gradually  the  two  had  drawn  near  to  the 
claim,  and  at  last  drew  the  attention  of  Obed 
and  the  boys. 

Obed's  thin  face  lighted  up  with  satisfaction 
as  he  recognized  the  man  who  had  attempted 
to  steal  the  nugget. 
t   "Good-mornm',  squire,"   he  said  politely. 


SELLING  THE   CLAIM.  241 

"  You  look  kind  of  tired,  as  if  you  was  up 
late  last  night." 

Colson  eyed  him  sharply.  "Does  he  sus- 
pect?" thought  he.  "Yes,"  he  answered,  in 
an  indifferent  tone,  "I  didn't  rest  very 
well." 

"  Where  did  you  pass  the  night  ?  " 

"'Round  here,"  he  answered  vaguely. 

"You  look  as  if  you  had  been  taking  a  long 
walk." 

"  You  are  very  observing,"  said  Colson,  not 
over  pleased. 

"  I  always  was.  It  pays  a  man — some- 
times." 

"I  hear  you've  struck  it  rich,"  said  Colson, 
not  caring  to  take  notice  of  the  other's  sig- 
nificant tone. 

"Found  a  nugget,  they  tell  me,"  interpo- 
lated Ropes.  "  How  big  was  it  ? " 

"  Weighs  about  seventy-five  pounds  !  " 

"  That  is  luck  !  "  said  Colson,  with  a  sickly 
smile.  He  could  scarcely  help  groaning  as  he 
thought  of  his  loss. 

"Well,  yes,  it  is  tolerable  lief  ty.  I  reckon 
me  and  the  boys  will  be  able  to  take  it  easy 

16 


242  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

for  a  few  years.  But  we  came  near  losin'  it, 
after  all." 

"How's  that?"  Colson  asked,  but  lie  did 
not  venture  to  meet  Obed's  glance. 

"  Some  skunk  saw  us  bringin'  back  the 
nugget,  and  prowled  round  till  he  thought  we 
was  all  asleep.  Then  he  got  into  the  cabin 
and  carried  it  off.  That  is,  he  thought  he  did, 
but  we  was  a  little  too  sharp  for  him.  We 
tied  up  a  big  rock  in  my  handkerchief,  and  I 
guess  he  had  a  sweet  time  carry  in'  it  off." 

"  Ha,  ha  !  A  good  joke  !  "  said  Colson,  but 
his  laughter  was  mirthless. 

"I  thought  you'd  enjoy  the  joke,  squire," 
said  Obed.  "How  I  pity  the  poor  fellow! 
His  arms  must  ache  with  luggin'  the  old  rock. 
The  best  of  it  is  we  know  the  fellow  that  took 
it." 

"You  do?"  ejaculated  Colson,  his  jaw 
dropping. 

"  Yes,  Harry  woke  up  just  in  the  nick  of 
time  and  saw  him  scootin'  out  of  the  cabin. 
If  I  should  tell  the  boys  'round  here,  I  reckon 
they'd  lynch  him  !  "  added  Obed  quietly. 

"Just  so,"  assented  Colson,  but  his   face 


SELLING   THE  CLAIM.  243 

was  of  a  sickly  hue,  and  taking  Ropes  by  the 
arm  he  hurried  him  away. 

"That  fellow's  well  scared,"  said  Obed, 
turning  to  his  two  young  companions.  "I 
reckon  he'll  make  himself  scarce  till  we're  out 
of  the  way." 


CHAPTER  XXX. 

THE  TWO   CONSPIRATORS. 

OBED  and  the  boys  made  arrangements  to 
travel  with  the  party  sent  by  the  com- 
missioner as  an  escort  to  the  nugget  and  other 
sums  intrusted  to  it  by  different  miners.  The 
strong  guard  gave  them  a  sense  of  security 
which  they  would  not  have  had  under  other 
circumstances. 

They  were  all  in  high  spirits.  They  were 
no  longer  penniless  adventurers,  but,  though 
not  rich,  were  possessed  of  enough  gold  to 
make  them  feel  so.  Now  that  they  were  well 
fixed  they  were  all  filled  with  a  strong  desire 
to  see  their  home  across  the  sea. 

"I  suppose,  Obed,  you'll  begetting  mar- 
ried soon  after  you  reach  home?"  said 
Harry. 

"The  very  first  thing  I  shall  do  will  be  to 
pay  off  the  mortgage  on  dad's  farm,"  said  Mr. 


THE   TWO   CONSPIRATORS.  245 

Stackpole.  "I  want  to  see  him  a  free  man, 
with  a  home  that  can't  be  taken  from  him. 
Then  I'll  look  after  the  other  matter." 

"  You  are  right,  Obed.  I  only  wish  I  had 
a  father  to  help  and  care  for,"  said  Harry 
soberly. 

"I've  got  a  step-father,"  said  Jack,  "but  I 
don't  feel  much  like  helping  him." 

"You  have  a  mother,  Jack." 

"Yes,  but  I  shall  have  to  be  careful  about 
giving  her  money,  for  her  husband  would  get 
it  away  from  her  before  long." 

"Well,  boys,  we  won't  borrow  trouble  be- 
fore the  time  comes.  For  all  I  know  Suke 
Stanwood  may  have  got  tired  of  waitin'  for 
me,  and  married  some  other  feller." 

"  In  that  case,  Obed,  I  suppose  you  would 
die  of  a  broken  heart." 

"  Not  much,  but  I  don't  mind  sayin'  that  I 
should  feel  uncommon  blue." 

Two  days  elapsed  before  Obed  and  his  party 
started  on  their  return  trip.  Meanwhile  Col- 
son  and  Ropes  had  disappeared.  The  boys 
had  expected  to  see  them  about  the  camp, 
but  they  had  vanished. 


246  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"  I  wonder  what  has  become  of  them  ? "  said 
Harry,  just  as  they  were  starting. 

"I  reckon  they're  hatchin'  some  new  mis- 
chief, wherever  they  are,"  returned  Obed  com- 
posedly. "You  maybe  sure  they're  not  en- 
gaged in  any  honest  work." 

"Perhaps  Colson  is  trying  to  sell  his  nug- 
get," suggested  Jack  with  a  smile. 

"He's  welcome  to  all  he  can  get  for  it," 
said  Obed. 

Obed  was  very  near  the  truth  in  his  con- 
jecture. Their  greed  was  excited  by  thoughts 
of  the  nugget  which  our  three  friends  had 
discovered,  and  their  brains  were  busied  with 
plans  for  obtaining  possession  of  it.  The 
chances  didn't  seem  very  encouraging.  It 
was  under  strong  escort,  and  it  would  be 
sheer  madness  for  the  two  to  attack  an  armed 
party.  It  would  require  a  much  larger  force 
than  they  could  command  to  make  an  attack 
at  all  practicable. 

With  no  special  plans,  but  with  the  hope 
that  something  would  turn  up  in  their  favor, 
the  two  men  started  for  Melbourne  in  advance 
of  the  government  party.  They  were  indebted 


THE   TWO   CONSPIRATORS.  247 

for  the  requisite  funds  to  a  successful  theft 
by  Col  son,  who  was  an  expert  in  his  line.  It 
is  unnecessary  to  chronicle  their  daily  prog- 
ress. We  will  look  in  upon  them  on  the 
fourth  day. 

They  were  making  toilsome  progress,  over 
the  boggy  road,  when  all  at  once  they  were 
confronted  by  three  bushrangers  headed  by 
Fletcher. 

"Surrender,  or  you  are  dead  men!"  ex- 
claimed Fletcher,  with  a  boldness  which  will 
be  easily  understood  when  it  is  considered 
that  his  force  outnumbered  the  travellers  two 
to  one. 

Neither  Colson  nor  Ropes  appeared  to  be 
frightened.  Indeed,  they  were  looking  for 
such  an  encounter. 

"  All  right,  gentlemen,"  said  Ropes  quietly. 
"  We  are  quite  ready  to  surrender." 

"Empty  your  pockets,"  was  the  next 
order. 

"All  right  again!"  said  Ropes.  "I  am 
sorry  to  say  we  haven't  much  to  surrender." 

"Is  this  all  you  have?"  asked  Fletcher, 
frowning  when  a  pound  and  ten  shillings  were 


248  13"   A   NEW   WORLD. 

delivered  to  liim  as  their  united  contributions 
to  the  bushrangers'  fund. 

"  We  haven't  a  penny  more." 

"  Search  them  !  "  said  Fletcher  to  his  fol- 
lowers. 

A  search,  however,  failed  to  bring  to  light 
anything  more. 

"Why,  you  poor  tramps!"  exclaimed 
Fletcher  in  disgust.  "You  are  unworthy  the 
attention  of  gentlemen." 

"  Perhaps  not,  captain,"  answered  Colson. 
"  May  I  have  a  word  with  you  in  private  ? " 

Not  without  suspicion  Fletcher  granted  this 
unexpected  request,  and  stepped  aside  with 
Colson  a  few  paces,  taking  care,  however,  to 
keep  near  enough  to  his  party  to  insure  his 
safety. 

"Well,  what  have  you  to  say?"  he  asked 
abruptly. 

"I  have  no  money  to  give  you,"  replied 
Colson,  "but  I  have  information  that  will 
enable  you  to  obtain  a  great  deal." 

"What  is  your  object  in  telling  me  this?" 
demanded  Fletcher,  still  suspiciously. 

"  The  fact  is,  my  friend  and  I  want  to  join 


THE   TWO   CONSPIRATORS.  249 

with  you  in  the  enterprise,  and  get  a  fair 
share  of  the  booty." 

"Do  you  wish  to  join  our  band,  then?" 

"  Well,  not  permanently,  but  for  a  little 
while." 

"  Out  with  the  information,  then !" 

"  Will  you  agree  to  our  terms  ?  " 

"What  are  they?" 

11  We  want  half  of  the  prize." 

"You  are  very  modest,"  said  Fletcher  in  a 
sarcastic  tone.  "How  much  will  it  amount 
to?" 

"Not  far  from  a  hundred  thousand  dol- 
lars." 

Fletcher  pricked  up  his  ears.  This  was 
indeed  a  prize  worth  trying  for. 

"Give  particulars,"  he  said. 

"A  big  nugget  is  on  the  way  to  Melbourne, 
or  will  be  in  a  day  or  two.  It  was  found  at 
Bendigo.  I  don't  know  how  much  it  will  net, 
but  probably  seventy-five  thousand  dollars. 
Then  there  is  a  considerable  amount  of  dust 
besides." 

"  Who  is  to  carry  it  I  Is  it  iu  the  hands  of 
a  private  party  ? " 


250  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"No,  it  is  under  government  escort." 

Fletcher's  countenance  changed. 

"That  is  a  different  matter,"  he  said. 
"  There  is  danger  in  attacking  a  government 
party." 

"  Think  of  the  big  sum  at  stake." 

"It  would  require  the  co-operation  of  the 
whole  band." 

"  Suppose  it  does." 

"There  will  be  more  to  divide  it  among. 
The  captain  would  not  agree  for  a  moment  to 
give  away  half." 

"  Say  a  third,  then." 

"  I  am  not  authorized  to  make  any  bargain. 
That  will  be  for  the  captain  to  decide.  You 
had  better  tell  me  all  you  know  about  it,  and  I 
will  lay  it  before  the  captain  and  secure  you 
the  best  terms  I  can  on  conditions " 

"Well?" 

"  That  you  give  me  quarter  of  your  share." 

"That  is  unreasonable,"  said  Colson,  dis- 
appointed. 

"Then  go  ahead  and  rob  the  government 
train  yourself." 

Colson  saw  that  he  was  helpless,  and  must 


THE  TWO   CONSPIRATORS.  251 

submit  to  any  terms  proposed.  He  accord- 
ingly signified  his  assent. 

"Very  well,  then,"  said  Fletcher,  "you 
may  come  with  us,  and  I  will  introduce  you  to 
the  captain.  By  the  way,  who  found  the 
nugget?  You  have  not  told  me  that." 

"  A  Yankee  and  two  boys." 

"What  was  the  Yankee's  name?"  asked 
Fletcher  eagerly. 

"  Stackpole— Obed  Stackpole." 

Fletcher  whistled. 

"I  know  the  man,"  he  said.  "The  boys 
are  about  sixteen — one  a  sailor?  " 

"Yes." 

"I  know  them  all,  and  I  owe  them  all  a 
grudge.  There  is  nothing  I  should  like  better 
than  to  take  all  they  have  and  leave  them 
penniless." 

"I  don't  like  them  myself,"  said  Colson, 
thinking  this  was  the  way  to  curry  favor  with 
his  new  acquaintance. 

"  You  know  them  also  ? " 

"  Yes  ;  they  have  treated  me  meanly." 

Colson  probably  referred  to  their  substitut- 
ing a  common  rock  for  the  rich  nugget,  and 


252  IN   A  NEW   WORLD. 

so  subjecting  him  to  mortification  and  disap- 
pointment. 

Fletcher  asked  him  a  few  more  questions, 
and  then  with  the  new  accessions  plunged  into 
the  woods,  and  led  his  party  to  the  headquar- 
ters of  the  bushrangers. 


CHAPTER  XXXI. 

TAKEX   CAPTIVE. 

THE  new  recruits,  on  being  introduced  to 
the  captain  of  the  bushrangers,  were  sub- 
jected to  a  searching  examination  by  the  chief, 
a  suspicion  having  arisen  in  his  mind  that  the 
two  were  spies  sent  out  by  the  government  to 
lure  the  outlaws  into  a  trap.  He  was  con- 
vinced after  a  while  that  they  were  acting  in 
good  faith,  and  a  conference  was  called  to  de- 
cide what  should  be  done  in  the  matter.  On 
this  point  opinions  differed.  The  nugget,  of 
course,  would  be  a  valuable  prize,  but  it  would 
be  impossible  to  dispose  of  it  in  Melbourne,  as 
the  fact  of  its  discovery  would  have  been  pub- 
lished, and  any  person  attempting  to  sell  it 
would  be  instantly  arrested.  This  view  was 
held  by  Captain  Ring  himself. 

"That  objection  is  easily  met,"  said 
Fletcher. 

"In  what  way?" 


254  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"One  of  the  band  could  be  sent  to  America 
to  dispose  of  it.  He  could  carry  it  in  his  trunk 
as  ordinary  luggage." 

"Perhaps  you  would  like  to  undertake  the 
commission,"  said  Captain  Ring. 

"I  should  be  very  willing,"  said  Fletcher 
eagerly. 

"I  don't  doubt  you  would,"  returned  the 
captain,  in  a  sarcastic  tone.  "Who  would  in- 
sure your  making  over  the  proceeds  to  us  ? " 

"I  hope  you  don't  doubt  my  integrity," 
said  Fletcher,  with  an  air  of  virtuous  indigna- 
tion. 

"  Perhaps  I  had  better  say  nothing  on  that 
subject,  Fletcher.  The  band  are  unwilling 
to  subject  you  to  the  temptation — that's  all. 
Many  good  men  go  wrong." 

"You  might  send  someone  with  me,"  sug- 
gested Fletcher,  unwilling  to  give  up  the 
tempting  prospect. 

"We  haven't  got  the  nugget  yet,"  answered 
the  captain  dryly. 

Colson  and  Ropes  had  listened  with  interest 
to  the  discussion.  They  began  to  fear  that 
nothing  would  be  done.  They  would  have 


TAKEN   CAPTIVE.  255 

been  as  much  opposed  as  anyone  to  trusting 
Fletcher,  as  he  had  not  inspired  them  with 
confidence.  It  takes  a  rogue  to  detect  a  rogue, 
and  they  already  suspected  his  true  character. 
Their  hope  of  revenge  on  Obed  Stackpole 
seemed  slipping  through  their  fingers. 

"The  Yankee  and  the  two  boys  have  a  good 
deal  of  gold  about  them,"  suggested  Colson. 
"Of  course  it  isn't  much,  compared  with  the 
nugget,  but  it  is  better  than  nothing." 

"How  much  has  the  Yankee?"  demanded 
King. 

"Three  hundred  pounds  at  least." 

"  That  is  something,  but  as  he  will  travel 
with  the  government  escort,  we  should  have  to 
attack  the  whole  party." 

"Not  necessarily.  I  have  a  plan  that  I 
think  will  work." 

"Detail  it." 

Colson  did  so.  What  it  was  will  appear  in 
due  time. 

Meanwhile  Obed  and  the  two  boys  had 
started  on  their  way  to  Melbourne.  With  a 
strong  military  escort  they  gave  themselves  up 
to  joyful  anticipations  of  the  bright  future 


256  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

that  opened  before  them.  They  no  longer 
entertained  apprehensions  of  being  waylaid, 
being  secure  in  the  strength  of  their 
party. 

They  travelled  by  easy  stages,  and  at  night 
camped  out.  A  sentry  was  always  posted, 
who  stood  guard  while  the  rest  were  asleep, 
for,  unlikely  as  an  attack  might  be,  it  was 
deemed  necessary  to  provide  against  it. 

Often,  however,  after  supper  Obed  and  the 
two  boys  would  take  a  walk  together,  in  order 
to  talk  over  their  plans  without  interruption 
from  others.  On  the  third  evening  they 
unwittingly  walked  a  little  further  than 
usual.  Harry  was  the  first  to  notice  it. 

"  Hadn't  we  better  return,  Obed  ? "  he  said. 
"  We  must  be  a  mile  from  the  camp." 

"You  are  right,"  said  Obed.  "  It  would  be 
rather  unlucky  to  meet  with  the  bushrangers, 
just  as  we  are  gettin'  on  so  well." 

"  That's  true  ;  we  mustn't  run  any  risks." 

They  started  to  return,  when  Jack,  stop- 
ping suddenly,  said,  "I  thought  I  heard  a 
groan." 

"So  did  I,"  said  Harry. 


TAKEN   CAPTIVE.  257 

They  paused,  and  the  groan  was  repeated. 
It  appeared  to  come  from  a  couple  of  rods  to 
the  left  in  the  recesses  of  the  forest. 

"If  there's  any  poor  critter  in  pain  we 
ought  to  help  him,"  said  Obed,  "come  along, 
boys!" 

It  was  not  difficult  to  discover  the  spot  from 
which  the  groan  proceeded.  A  man  of  middle 
age  lay  outstretched  beneath  a  tree,  with  an 
expression  of  pain  on  his  face. 

"What's  the  matter,  my  friend?"  asked 
Obed,  standing  over  him. 

"The  bushrangers  have  robbed  and  beaten 
me,"  said  the  prostrate  man  feebly. 

"  You  don' t  say  so  !     How  long  since  ? " 

"About  an  hour." 

"  Then  they  must  be  near  by,"  said  Harry. 

"No  ;  they  went  away  as  soon  as  they  got 
my  money." 

Meanwhile  Jack  had  been  attentively  ex- 
amining the  face  of  the  alleged  victim.  He 
quietly  beckoned  to  Harry  to  move  off  to  a 
little  distance. 

"Well,  Jack,  what  is  it?"  asked  Harry, 
somewhat  surprised. 

17 


258  IX   A    XEW   WORLD. 

"That  man  is  one  of  the  bushrangers.  I 
remember  his  face  very  well.  It  is  one  of  the 
gang  that  captured  us." 

Harry  was  naturally  startled. 

"Are  you  sure  of  this  ? "  he  asked. 

"  Yes,  I  know  him  as  well  as  I  do  Obed." 

"Then  it  is  a  plot.  We  must  get  away  if 
we  can.  There  is  danger  in  staying  here." 

"  You  are  right  there,  Harry." 

"I  will  go  up  and  take  Obed's  place  while 
you  call  him  away." 

Harry  advanced  to  the  side  of  the  victim, 
and  said  quietly,  "Jack  wishes  to  speak  to 
you  a  moment,  Obed.  He  thinks  we  can  carry 
this  gentleman  with  us,  as  he  has  lost  all  his 
money." 

"Very  well,"  said  Obed,  and  walked  to 
where  Jack  was  standing. 

Harry  scrutinized  the  man's  face,  and  he  too 
recognized  him  as  one  of  the  gang— but  his 
face  did  not  betray  his  suspicions. 

"Were  you  robbed  of  much  money?"  he 
asked  in  a  sympathizing  tone. 

"  I  had  the  value  of  a  hundred  pounds  with 
me,"  said  the  other  feebly. 


TAKEN   CAPTIVE.  259 

"I  suppose  you  came  from  Bendigo  like 
ourselves  ?" 

"Yes  ;  have  you  been  lucky  ?  " 

"  We  had  some  luck,  but  we  are  tired  of 
mining,  and  are  going  back  to  Melbourne. 
Would  you  like  to  have  us  take  you  along 
also?" 

"  Yes,  if  you  would  be  so  kind." 

At  this  moment  Obed's  voice  was  heard. 

"Come  here,  Harry  ;  we'll  make  a  litter  to 
carry  our  friend  there  if  he  is  unable  to 
walk." 

"  All  right,  Obed." 

There  might  have  been  something  in  Obed's 
voice  that  betrayed  him.  At  any  rate,  the 
victim,  looking  up,  eyed  him  keenly,  and 
then,  to  the  surprise  of  the  boys,  gave  a  sharp 
whistle.  Their  suspicions  were  at  once 
kindled,  and  they  started  to  run,  but  too  late. 
From  the  underbrush  there  sprang  out  three 
bushrangers,  accompanied  by  Colson  and 
Ropes,  who  covered  the  boys  with  their 
weapons. 

"  Halt  there  ! "  exclaimed  Fletcher  in  a  tone 
of  authority. 


260  IX  A  NEW  WORLD. 

"Oh,  it's  you,  is  it?"  said  Obed  with  ap- 
parent coolness,  though  his  heart  sank  within 
him. 

"Yes,  it's  I,  Mr.  Stackpole,"  returned 
Fletcher,  with  a  grim  smile.  "I  hope  you're 
better  fixed  than  when  we  met  last.  I  hear 
you've  found  a  nugget." 

"  One  of  those  gentlemen  with  you  can  give 
you  information  about  that,"  said  Obed,  indi- 
cating Colson. 

Colson  frowned  and  bit  his  lip. 

"  He  has  told  us  about  it." 

"Ask  him  for  it,  then.  He  broke  into  our 
tent  the  night  we  found  it  and  carried  it 
off." 

"Is  this  true?"  demanded  Fletcher,  eying 
Colson  suspiciously. 

"No,  it's  a  lie.  The  nugget  is  in  charge 
of  a  mounted  escort  on  the  way  to  Mel- 
bourne." 

"What  have  you  done  with  your  nugget, 
Colson?"  asked  Obed. 

Colson  did  not  reply. 

"  There's  no  time  to  waste  here.  Stackpole, 
you  and  the  boys  will  have  to  go  with  us. 


TAKEN   CAPTIVE.  261 

Here,  you  two  men,  close  behind  them.     We 
must  not  let  them  escape." 

The  party  started  with  the  captives  in  the 
middle.  It  was  decidedly  a  bad  outlook  for 
our  three  friends. 


CHAPTEE  XXXII. 

OBED   IN  A   TIGHT  PLACE. 

IT  must  be  confessed  that  the  reflections  of 
Obed  and  the  two  boys  were  far  from 
pleasant.  The  cup  of  happiness  had  been 
dashed  from  .their  lips  just  as  they  had  begun 
to  taste  it.  Then  again  it  was  very  mortifying 
to  watch  the  exultation  of  Fletcher  arid  Col- 
son,  who  had  finally  triumphed  over  them 
after  being  successfully  baffled. 

"The  worst  of  it  is,"  said  Obed  to  Harry, 
who  was  walking  alongside  of  him,  "that 
them  skunks  have  got  the  best  of  it.  It's 
their  time  to  crow  now." 

"  That's  the  way  I  feel,"  said  Harry  soberly. 
"I  believe  I  would  rather  have  lost  twice  as 
much  to  anybody  else." 

"We  haven't  lost  all,  that's  a  comfort. 
They  will  take  the  money  we  have  with  us, 
but  if  ever  we  escape  to  Melbourne,  there  is 
the  nugget  money  waiting  for  us." 


OBED   IN   A   TIGHT  PLACE.  263 

Just  then  Colson  stepped  up  with  a  smile 
on  his  face. 

"  It  strikes  me  I've  got  about  even  with 
you,  friend  Stackpole,"  he  said. 

"  Don't  call  me  friend,  Colson  ;  I  don't  own 
any  man  as  friend  who  acts  like  you.  So 
you're  a  bushranger,  are  you?" 

"Certainly  not,"  answered  Colson,  amazed. 

"It  looks  like  it,"  remarked  Obed  signifi- 
cantly. 

"  I  am  merely  in  the  company  of  the  bush- 
rangers just  at  present." 

"  Aiding  and  abetting  them  in  their  schem- 
ing. That' s  so,  isn'  t  it  ? " 

"No." 

"You  haven't  any  interest  in  the  plunder, 
then?" 

Now,  one  of  the  bushrangers  was  within  hear- 
ing, and  Colson  didn't  venture  to  say  "No," 
or  it  would  be  virtually  giving  up  his  share  of 
the  money  taken  from  Obed  and  the  boys. 

"  I  don't  care  to  answer  any  of  your  ques- 
tions," he  said  stiffly. 

"  I  don't  wonder — not  a  mite,  Colson.  Still 
I'd  like  to  ask  one." 


264  IN   A    NEW   WOULD. 

"  What  is  it?  I  don't  promise  to  answer  it, 
though." 

"Didn't  you  find  that  nugget  rather 
heavy?"  asked  Obed  slyly. 

Colson  didn't  answer,  but  frowned,  for  the 
subject  was  a  sore  one. 

"  How  many  miles  did  you  carry  it,  if  I  may 
be  so  bold?" 

"  I  don't  care  to  discuss  the  subject." 

"I  shouldn't  if  I  were  you.  It  makes  me 
laugh  when  I  think  how  you  must  have  looked 
when  you  found  out  it  was  nothing  but  com- 
mon rock." 

"  How  much  does  it  weigh  ?  "  inquired  Col- 
son,  in  a  tone  of  curiosity. 

"  Somewhere  between  fifty  and  five  hun- 
dred pounds.  Are  you  thinking  of  attacking 
the  guard  ?  I  wouldn'  t  if  I  were  you.  They  are 
prepared  for  gentlemen  of  your  kind.  You'd 
be  more  likely  to  carry  off  lead  than  gold." 

"Confound  the  fellow!"  thought  Colson. 
"  He  looks  as  if  he  had  the  best  of  me — I  must 
worry  him  a  little." 

"Do  you  know  thnt  you  are  in  a  very  tick- 
lish position  ? "  he  asked. 


OBED   IN   A   TIGHT   PLACE.  265 

"1  can't  say  it's  a  position  I  fancy 
much.  Did  you  put  our  friends  here  on  the 
track?" 

"  Yes,  I  did,"  answered  Colson  in  a  tone  of 
satisfaction. 

"I  thought  so.  That  identifies  you  with 
them,  Colson.  You  may  find  it  used  against 
you  in  a  court  of  justice." 

"  I  am  no  more  a  bushranger  than  you  are," 
said  Colson  uneasily. 

"  I  would  respect  you  more  if  you  was,  Col- 
son. They're  open  and  aboveboard,  any- 
way. You  want  to  profit  by  the  same  means, 
but  sneak  out  of  it  and  say  you're  not  a  bush- 
ranger. It  '11  be  hard  to  persuade  the  courts 
of  that." 

"  I  have  nothing  to  do  with  courts." 

"You  may  have  yet.  Let  me  give  you  a 
piece  of  advice." 

"What  is  it?"  demanded  Colson  suspi- 
ciously. 

"Join  the  band  permanently.  You're  a 
man  after  Fletcher's  own  heart.  You  and  he 
will  make  a  good  match." 

"  Who    is    that    mentioning    my    name  ? " 


266  IN  A  NEW   WOELD. 

asked  Fletcher,  who  happened  to  be  within 
hearing. 

' '  I  took  that  liberty,  squire.  I'  ve  been  ad- 
visin'  Colson  here  to  join  your  band." 

"What  is  that  for?" 

"I  think  it's  a  business  that  will  suit  Imn. 
His  talents  all  lie  in  that  direction.  He'll  be 
like  a  brother  to  you,  Fletcher." 

"What  did  he  say?" 

"He  don't  like  the  idea.  He  seems  to  feel 
above  you.  He  says  he  is  only  keepin'  com- 
pany with  you  for  a  short  time." 

"Is  that  true?"  demanded  Fletcher,  eying 
Colson  with  displeasure. 

"I  never  said  any  such  thing,"  said  Colson 
eagerly.  "He  twists  my  words.  I  have  the 
greatest  respect  for  the  bushrangers,  whom  I 
regard  as  gentlemen." 

"Perhaps  that  is  the  reason  you  don't  feel 
gratified  to  join  them,  Colson?  " 

Fletcher  laughed  at  this  palpable  hit,  but 
Colson  looked  annoyed. 

"I  don't  expect  to  remain  in  this  section  of 
the  country  long,"  said  Colson  deprecatingly, 
for  he  was  very  much  afraid  of  offending 


OBED   IIST   A   TIGHT   PLACE.  267 

Fletcher.  "Of  course  I  can't  form  any  per- 
manent ties." 

"  It  might  be  better  for  you  to  leave,  Colson. 
I've  an  idee  that  it  isn't  good  for  your  health 
to  stay  around  here  very  long.  You  haven't 
made  a  shinin'  success  so  far.  Now,  as  to  that 
nugget  which  you  stole " 

"Do  you  mean  to  insult  me?  I  never  took 
any  nugget." 

"That's  so.  You're  right  there,  Colson. 
But  you  thought  you  had,  all  the  same.  For- 
tunately, it's  where  you  can't  get  at  it." 

"I  have  something  to  say  on  that  point," 
said  Fletcher.  "I  understand  the  nugget  is 
very  valuable." 

"I'm  glad  to  hear  it.  You're  a  judge.  I 
have  an  idee  of  that  sort  myself." 

"  About  how  much  does  it  weigh  ? " 

"About  seventy-five  pounds.  I  don't  mind 
gratifying  your  innocent  curiosity,  Fletcher." 

Fletcher's  eyes  sparkled. 

"It  must  be  very  valuable,"  he  said. 

"I  reckon  it  is." 

"  At  what  do  you  estimate  it — twenty  thou- 
sand dollars?" 


268  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

"'Not  as  much  as  that." 

"  It  ought  to  come  pretty  near  it,  though." 

Obed  did  not  answer. 

"  It's  a  great  prize.     You  were  very  lucky." 

"  So  I  thought  at  the  time.  I  don't  feel  so 
certain,  now,"  said  Obed  dryly. 

"I  think  half  of  it  will  be  enough  for  you." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Fletcher  ?  " 

"I  mean  that  we  shall  want  half  of  it." 

"  How  are  you  going  to  get  it  ? " 

"We  mean  to  hold  you  prisoner  till  half  the 
proceeds  are  brought  in  from  Melbourne." 

Obed's  countenance  fell.  He  had  not 
thought  of  this. 

Colson's  eyes  glistened  with  pleasure.  Till 
that  lucky  suggestion  was  made  he  saw  no 
•way  of  securing  a  share  of  the  great  prize. 

"That's  a  nice  scheme,  Fletcher,"  said 
Obed,  regaining  his  composure. 

"  So  I  think.  You  and  the  boys  would  still 
have  a  good  sum  of  money.  What  do  you 
say  ?  Shall  we  make  a  little  friendly  arrange- 
ment to  that  effect  1  You  could  give  me  an 
order  for  half  the  sum  realized,  and  on  my 
securing  it  you  would  be  released." 


OBED   IN   A   TIGHT  PLACE.  269 

"I  shall  have  to  talk  it  over  with  my  part- 
ners here,"  returned  Obed.  "  They're  equally 
interested  with  me." 

"Better  do  so  now." 

"I  won't  till  evenin',  when  we  have  more 
time." 

Fletcher  rode  away  under  the  impression 
that  Obed  was  favorably  disposed  to  his 
plan. 

"When  I  get  the  money,"  he  said  to  him- 
self, "I  can  decide  whether  to  let  the  fellow 
go  or  not.  I  don't  care  for  the  boys,  but  I'd 
like  to  give  this  Yankee  a  good  flogging,  he's 
so  confoundedly  sarcastic.  Plague  take  it, 
the  fellow  doesn't  know  when  he's  down, 
but  talks  as  if  he  was  on  equal  terms  with 
me." 

Meanwhile,  though  Fletcher  did  not  know 
it,  the  train  of  bushrangers  had  steadily 
advanced  to  the  neighborhood  of  the  place 
where  the  government  escort  were  encamped. 

In  fact,  he  was  ignorant  that  they  were  so 
near.  But  Obed  knew  it,  and  he  was  watch- 
ing his  opportunity  to  apprise  his  friends  of 
his  situation.  Harry  had  noticed  the  same 


270  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

thing.  Lest  lie  should  make  a  premature 
revelation,  Obed  placed  his  hand  to  his  lips, 
as  a  sign  of  silence.  Harry  understood,  and 
seemed  indifferent,  but  his  heart  was  beating 
fast  with  excitement. 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

THE   TABLES   ARE  TURNED. 

IT  was  certainly  an  oversight  in  Fletcher 
not  to  have  ascertained  the  situation  of 
the  government  encampment.  He  was  under 
the  impression  that  it  was  in  a  direction 
opposite  to  that  in  which  they  were  moving, 
and  this  determined  his  course.  He  was 
therefore  wholly  unconscious  of  danger,  and 
tranquil  in  mind,  though  his  situation  was 
critical. 

Obed  was  puzzled  to  know  in  what  manner 
to  get  the  necessary  intelligence  to  his  com- 
rades. Chance  gave  him  a  suggestion.  The 
man  next  him  wore  round  his  neck  a  whistle — 
designed  doubtless  to  use  in  case  of  emer- 
gencies. It  was  of  rather  peculiar  shape. 

"That's  an  odd  whistle  you've  got  there, 
my  friend,"  he  said,  "  where  did  you  get  it  ?  " 

"In  Melbourne,"  answered  the  fellow  un- 
suspiciously. 

271 


272  IU   A  NEW    WOULD. 

"I  think  I've  seen  one  like  it  in  the  States. 
Let  me  look  at  it  a  minute." 

The  bushranger  allowed  Obed  to  take  it  in 
his  hand. 

Suddenly  Mr.  Stackpole  put  it  to  his 
mouth,  and  gave  a  sharp,  loud  whistle  that 
awakened  the  echoes  in  the  forest. 

Like  a  flash  Fletcher  turned  from  his  place 
at  the  head  of  the  train  and  eyed  the  bush- 
ranger with  a  frown.  Obed  had  dropped  the 
whistle,  and  was  walking  on  with  an  innocent 
look. 

"  What  is  this  foolery,  Hogan  ?  "  demanded 
Fletcher  sharply.  "Don't  you  know  better 
than  to  whistle?" 

"I  didn't,  lieutenant,"  answered  Hogan. 
"It  was  this  man  here." 

"The  Yankee?" 

"Yes." 

"  How  did  he  get  the  whistle  ? " 

"He  asked  to  look  at  it." 

"  What  does  this  mean,  Stackpole?"  asked 
Fletcher  angrily. 

"Don't  get  riled,  squire,"  said  Obed  im- 
perturbably.  "I  just  wanted  to  try  it,  that's 


THE   TABLES   ARE   TURXED.  273 

all.  I  had  a  whistle  once  a  little  like  it. 
When  I  was  workin'  for  old  Deacon  Plummer 
in  New  Hampshire " 

"  Confound  old  Deacon  Plummer  !  "  re- 
torted Fletcher  impatiently.  "Don't  you 
know  I  might  have  you  shot  for  what  you've 
done?" 

"  Shot  for  whistling  !  Well,  that  beats  all 
I  ever  heard  of.  I  say,  squire,  your  laws  are 
stricter  than  any  I  ever  came  across.  I  didn't 
think  I  was  doin'  any  harm." 

"I  will  overlook  it  this  time,  but  if  you 
take  any  such  liberty  again,  I'll  have  you  tied 
to  a  tree  and  whipped." 

"That's  better  than  bein'  shot,  anyway.  I 
won't  do  it  again,  squire.  I  aint  particularly 
anxious  to  get  into  trouble." 

"These  Yankees  are  about  as  stupid  and 
presuming  as  any  people  I  ever  met,"  Fletcher 
remarked  to  the  comrade  who  rode  beside  him. 
"That  fellow  is  a  nuisance,  but  I  mean  to 
teach  him  a  lesson  before  twenty-four  hours 
are  over." 

Obed  and  the  two  boys  awaited  with  anxiety 
the  result  of  the  summons.  The  camp  was 

18 


274  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

but  an  eighth  of  a  mile  away,  but  hidden  by 
the  trees. 

"  Will  they  hear  it  ? "  thought  Obed. 

It  is  doubtful  whether  this  would  have  been 
the  case,  but  luckily  for  our  three  friends  one 
of  the  escort — by  name  Warner — was  taking  a 
walk  in  the  woods,  and  heard  the  whistle.  His 
curiosity  was  excited,  and  peering  through  the 
trees  he  saw  the  bushrangers  and  their  captives. 

He  was  a  man  of  promptness,  and  returning 
to  the  camp  with  all  expedition  made  a  report 
to  the  officer  in  command. 

"How  many  are  there  in  the  band?"  in- 
quired Captain  Forbush. 

Warner  reported. 

The  captain  immediately  started,  under  War- 
ner's guidance,  with  ten  men,  and  arranged  to 
intercept  the  bushrangers. 

The  first  intimation  Fletcher  had  of  his 
danger  Avas  the  sudden  appearance  of  the 
government  soldiers,  who  broke  through  the 
underbrush  and  took  the  astonished  bush- 
rangers in  the  flank. 

"Surrender  instantly,  or  you  are  dead 
men!"  exclaimed  Forbush  sternly. 


THE   TABLES   ABE   TURNED.  275 

Fletcher  fell  back  in  dismay,  and  was  at  first 
speechless  with  consternation. 

"  Do  you  surrender  ? "  repeated  the  govern- 
ment officer  impatiently. 

Fletcher's  eye  ran  over  the  party  that  con- 
fronted him.  They  outnumbered  his  own 
forces  two  to  one.  He  felt  that  resistance 
would  be  useless. 

"  We  will  release  our  captives  if  you  let  us 
go,"  he  said. 

"  So  you  would  make  conditions?  You  are 
in  no  condition  to  do  that.  We  propose  to 
free  your  captives,  and  to  take  you  to  our 
camp." 

"  You  had  better  not,"  said  Fletcher,  hoping 
to  intimidate  the  officer.  "Our  main  band  is 
close  at  hand,  and  they  will  avenge  us." 

"I'll  take  the  risk,"  said  Forbush  indiffer- 
ently. "Throw  down  your  arms  !  " 

As  this  order  was  given  with  each  of  the 
bushrangers  covered  by  the  weapons  of  his 
own  party,  the  bushrangers  found  it  prudent 
to  comply. 

"  Very  well ;  now  follow  me." 

First,  however,  the  rifles  surrendered  by  the 


276  IN   A   NEW    WORLD. 

bushrangers  were  gathered  up,  and  in  their 
defenseless  condition  they  were  marched  to 
the  government  camp.  It  added  to  Fletcher's 
annoyance  that  the  weapons  dropped  by  his 
party  were  picked  up  and  carried  by  their  late 
captives,  Obed  and  the  two  boys. 

"So  you're  comin'  to  make  us  a  visit, 
Fletcher?"  said  Obed,  with  an  exasperating 
smile.  "It's  just  as  well  as  if  we  had  gone 
home  with  you.  We  shall  be  together  any- 
way, and  I  know  you  value  our  society." 

"I'd  like  to  strangle  you,"  muttered 
Fletcher. 

"Thank  you,  but  I  don't  think  I  should 
enjoy  it.  I've  seldom  met  a  kinder-hearted 
man,  Fletcher,  but  you  have  queer  ways  of 
showing  it." 

Probably  the  most  discomfited  members 
of  the  party  were  Colson  and  Ropes.  All 
their  schemes  had  miscarried,  and  they  felt 
that  they  were  in  a  genuine  scrape.  If  they 
could  only  convince  the  officers  that  they 
were  innocent  companions  of  the  bushran- 
gers, they  might  yet  escape.  Accordingly, 
when  they  reached  the  camp  Colson  advanced 


THE  TABLES  ARE  TURNED.  277 

to  Captain  Forbusli  and  said  :  "Ahem  !  captain, 
my  friend  Ropes  and  I  wish  to  express  our 
thanks  to  you  for  your  timely  rescue,  and 
would  like  to  travel  under  your  escort  to  Mel- 
bourne." 

"What  does  the  man  mean?"  asked  For- 
bush,  turning  to  Obed. 

"  Suppose  you  ask  him,"  suggested  Obed, 
with  a  smile  of  enjoyment. 

"Like  your  friends  here  we  were  captured, 
but  a  little  earlier.  I  hope — ha,  ha! — you 
don't  take  us  for  bushrangers?  That  would 
be  a  great  joke,  eh,  Ropes  ?  " 

"Just  so,"  answered  Ropes. 

"Suppose  you  ask  Fletcher,"  again  sug- 
gested Obed. 

"Are  these  men  followers  of  yours,  Mr. 
Fletcher  ?  They  say  you  captured  them." 

"They  did,  did  they?"  returned  Fletcher, 
eying  the  two  men  in  a  manner  by  no  means 
friendly.  "  It  is  a  lie.  They  came  to  me  and 
reported  that  your  party  were  carrying  a 
nugget  to  Melbourne,  and  wanted  us  to  attack 
you,  and  get  possession  of  it.  In  that  case 
they  demanded  a  share  of  the  proceeds.  The 


278  IN  A  NEW  WOULD. 

dogs  !  so  they  want  to  get  favor  at  our  ex- 
pense, do  they  ?" 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  them,  Mr. 
Stackpole?"  asked  Captain  Forbusli. 

"  Yes,  captain,  and  I  am  convinced  that  my 
friend  Fletcher  tells  the  exact  truth.  That 
skunk  there  [indicating  Col  son]  tried  to  steal 
the  nugget  the  very  night  of  its  discovery, 
and  broke  into  my  cabin  for  the  purpose. 
He's  a  sly,  underhand  thief,  and  not  to  be 
compared  with  a  bold  bushranger.  I  respect 
them  for  their  pluck  at  any  rate." 

"Don't  believe  him!  He's  prejudiced 
against  us,"  whined  Colson. 

"Gentlemen,"  said  Captain  Forbush,  "I 
will  comply  with  your  request  and  allow  you 
to  travel  with  me  to  Melbourne — under 
guard !  " 

Fletcher  and  the  bushrangers  looked  pleased 
at  this  announcement.  Their  own  prospects 
were  not  very  bright,  but  they  were  glad  to 
find  that  Colson  and  Ropes  were  to  share  their 
fate. 


CHAPTER  XXXIV. 

FAREWELL  TO   MELBOURNE. 

"TV~TO  further  adventures  or  dangers  befell 
J-N  the  party  on  their  way  to  Melbourne. 
It  was  thought  possible  that  Captain  Ring,  in 
charge  of  the  main  body  of  the  bushrangers, 
might  attempt  a  rescue  of  his  companions. 
No  such  attack  took  place.  It  might  have 
been  that  he  feared  the  issue  of  the  conflict, 
but  it  is  also  possible  that  he  experienced  no 
poignant  regret  at  the  capture  of  Fletcher, 
who,  he  well  knew,  would  have  been  glad  to 
succeed  him  in  command. 

At  first  Fletcher  was  buoyed  up  by  the  hope 
of  a  rescue.  Then,  when  that  hope  faded  out, 
he  sought  for  an  opportunity  to  escape.  In 
one  case  he  would  have  succeeded  but  for  the 
vigilance  of  Obed  Stackpole.  The  latter, 
awakening  suddenly,  saw  Fletcher,  who  in 
some  way  had  got  out  of  his  fetters,  stealing 


280  Iltf  A   NEW   WORLD. 

quietly  away.  He  sprang  to  liis  feet  and 
intercepted  the  fugitive. 

"What,  Fletcher!  you  don't  mean  to  say 
you  are  goin'  to  leave  us  without  sayin'  good- 
by  ?  We  can't  spare  you,  really." 

Fletcher  tried  to  shake  himself  free  from 
the  Yankee's  detaining  grasp. 

"Let  me  alone,  you  scarecrow!"  he  ex 
claimed  fiercely. 

"Thank  you  for  the  compliment,  Fletcher," 
said  Obed.  "I  aint  so  han'some  as  you  are, 
that's  a  fact,  but  I  guess  I'm  a  good  deal 
better." 

As  he  spoke  his  grip  became  stronger,  and 
Fletcher  found  his  efforts  to  escape  absolutely 
futile. 

"I  should  like  to  choke  you,"  lie  said 
fiercely. 

"I've  no  doubt  you  would,  Fletcher.  It 
would  be  a  nice  amusement  for  you,  but  I'm 
not  quite  ready  for  the  operation  just  yet. 
When  I  am  I'll  let  you  know." 

"But  for  you,  I  would  have  got  away," 
said  Fletcher,  in  bitter  disappointment. 

"I  guess  you  would.    It's  lucky  I  opened 


FAREWELL   TO   MELBOURNE.  281 

my  eyes  in  time.  There' d  liave  been  mournin' 
in  tins  camp  if  you'd  got  away,  Fletcher. 
You're  wastin'  yourself  in  the  woods.  You're 
fitted  to  adorn  Melbourne  society,  and  it  won't 
be  my  fault  if  you  don't  arrive  there." 

At  that  moment  Captain  Forbush  awoke. 

"  What's  happened  \  "  he  asked  anxiously. 

"One  of  our  friends  was  takin'  French 
leave,  that's  all,"  said  Obed.  "I  woke  just  in 
time  to  persuade  him  to  stay  a  little  longer." 

"  Ha  !  so  Fletcher  was  trying  to  escape,  was 
he  ?  I  am  indebted  to  you,  Mr.  Stackpole,  for 
frustrating  his  plan.  We  can't  spare  him  at 
all  events.  I  would  rather  lose  any  two  of  his 
companions." 

"You  see,  Fletcher,  how  much  we  value 
your-  society,"  said  Obed.  "It  was  cruel  in 
you  to  leave  us." 

"  You're  a  fool !  "  exclaimed  Fletcher,  dart- 
ing a  look  of  hate  at  Obed. 

"You  never  did  appreciate  me,  Fletcher. 
All  I  want  is  your  good." 

Fletcher  was  secured  in  such  a  way  that 
escape  was  no  longer  possible.  In  due  time 
he  and  his  comrades  reached  Melbourne  as 


282  IN  A  NEW  WORLD. 

captives,  and  were  transferred  to  the  civil 
authorities.  It  may  be  well  to  add  here  that 
they  were  tried,  and  sentenced  to  a  prolonged 
term  of  imprisonment.  Colson  and  Ropes 
fared  a  little  better,  their  term  being  only  half 
as  long.  They  submitted  sullenly  to  their 
fate,  but  singularly  seemed  more  embittered 
against  Obed  Stackpole  than  against  any  of 
the  officers  through  whose  hands  they  passed. 
Obed  would  have  fared  badly  had  he  fallen 
unprotected  into  their  hands. 

It  was  a  joyful  day  for  our  young  hero,  as 
well  as  his  three  companions,  when  they  saw 
rising  before  them  the  roofs  and  spires  of 
Melbourne.  During  the  weeks  that  had 
elapsed  since  their  departure,  they  had  not 
only  "roughed  it,"  but  they  had  met  with  a 
series  of  adventures  which  were  pleasanter  to 
remember  than  to  pass  through.  Twice  they 
had  been  captives,  but  each  time  they  had 
been  providentially  rescued.  Harry  felt  that 
God  had  watched  over  him,  and  delivered  him 
from  danger  and  the  schemes  of  wicked  men, 
and  his  confidence  and  trust  in  an  Overruling 
Power  were  stronger  than  ever. 


FAREWELL   TO   MELBOURNE.  283 

It  was  some  days  before  they  secured  the 
money  resulting  from  the  disposal  of  the  nug- 
get. When  the  matter  was  finally  arranged, 
they  found  themselves  in  possession  of  about 
sixteen  thousand  dollars.  This  included  the 
sum  realized  from  the  sale  of  the  mining 
claim. 

"That  gives  us  about  five  thousand  three 
hundred  dollars  apiece,"  said  Harry,  after  a 
brief  calculation. 

"I  can't  believe  it,"  said  Jack,  who  really 
seemed  bewildered  by  his  good  fortune. 
"Why,  it's  wonderful!" 

"  So  it  is,  Jack.  I  dare  say  you  are  the 
richest  young  sailor  of  your  age  in  the 
world." 

"  I  don't  know  about  that,  but  I  feel  as  rich 
as  a  Yanderbilt." 

"  When  does  the  next  steamer  start,  Obed  1 " 

"  In  four  days.  Can  you  be  ready  in  that 
time?" 

"I  would  get  ready  to  start  to-morrow  if 
necessary." 

"  So  would  I.  Melbourne  is  a  nice  city, 
but  I'd  rather  be  on  dad's  farm,  eatin'  supper 


284      .  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

in  the  old  kitchen,  than  in  the  best  hotel 
here." 

"After  all,  there's  no  place  like  home, 
Obed." 

'•'That's  a  fact,  but  perhaps  Jack  doesn't 
feel  so." 

"My  home  isn't  what  it  was  once,"  said 
Jack  soberly.  "If  mother  hadn't  married 
again  it  would  have  been  different,  but  I  never 
can  like  or  respect  my  step-father." 

"There's  one  place  you  ought  to  visit  be- 
fore you  start  for  home,  Harry,"  suggested 
Obed. 

"I  mean  to  see  the  city  pretty  thoroughly 
before  I  go,  as  I  don't  imagine  I  shall  ever 
come  this  way  again." 

"  That's  all  right,  but  it  isn't  what  I  mean." 

"What  then?" 

"Do  you  remember  the  old  gentleman  you 
saved  from  a  ruffian  the  night  before  you 
started  for  the  mines?" 

"Mr.  Woolson,  yes." 

"  You  ought  to  call,  you  and  Jack." 

"I'll  go  this  morning.  Will  you  come  too, 
Jack«" 


FAEEWELL   TO   MELBOURNE.  285 

"I'll  go  with  you  anywhere,  Harry,"  said 
the  young  sailor,  whose  affection  and  admira- 
tion for  Harry  were  very  strong. 

About  ten  o'clock  the  boys  entered  the 
office  of  Mr.  Woolson.  It  was  situated  in  one 
of  the  handsomest  blocks  in  Little  Collins 
Street,  and  they  learned  that  he  was  a  whole- 
sale merchant  and  importer. 

"Is  Mr.  Woolson  in?"  Harry  asked  of  a 
clerk. 

"  He  is  in  the  inner  office.  Have  you  busi- 
ness with  him?" 

"Yes." 

Admitted  into  the  inner  office,  the  boys  saw 
the  old  gentleman  seated  at  a  large  desk  with 
a  pile  of  papers  and  letters  before  him.  They 
were  by  no  means  certain  that  he  would  recog- 
nize them,  but  he  did  so  instantly. 

"I  am  glad  to  see  you,  my  young  friends," 
he  said,  rising  and  shaking  hands  with  them. 
"  I  have  thought  of  you  often,  and  of  the  great 
service  you  did  me.  Have  you  just  returned 
from  the  mines?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  I  hope  you  have  had  good  luck." 


286  IN  A  NEW   WORLD. 

"Wonderful  luck.  Jack  and  I  are  worth 
over  five  thousand  dollars  apiece." 

"Bless  my  soul!  Why  it  only  seems  a 
week  since  you  went  away." 

"It  is  nearly  three  months,  and  seems 
longer  to  us,  for  we  have  passed  through  a 
great  deal." 

"I  shall  be  glad  to  hear  a  full  account,  but 
I  have  not  time  in  business  hours.  Will  you 
do  me  the  favor  to  dine  with  me  at  my  house 
to-night  and  spend  the  evening  ? " 

"  With  pleasure,  sir." 

"  Then  I  shall  expect  you.  The  hour  is  six 
o'clock  sharp." 

The  boys  met  the  engagement,  and  passed 
the  time  most  agreeably.  Jack  felt  a  little 
bashful,  for  Mr.  Woolson  lived  in  fine  style, 
and  Jack  was  not  used  to  an  elegant  house  or 
table. 

When  the  cloth  was  removed,  Mr.  Woolson 
asked  the  boys  their  plans. 

"  We  intend  to  sail  for  New  York  next  Sat- 
urday," said  Harry.  "That  is  as  far  as  we 
have  got." 

"  If  you  were  willing  to  stay  in  Melbourne, 


FAREWELL   TO   MELBOURNE.  287 

I  would  give  you  a  place  in  my  counting- 
room." 

"Thank  you,  sir,  but  I  prefer  to  live  in 
America." 

"  Then  I  will  give  you  a  letter  to  my  nephew 
and  business  correspondent  in  New  York.  He 
will  further  any  business  views  you  may 
have." 

"Thank  you,  sir." 

"  And  I  will  do  the  same  for  your  friend,  if 
he  desires." 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Jack,  "but  I  mean 
to  keep  on  as  a  sailor  ;  I  hope  some  day  to  be 
a  captain." 

"  I  will  give  you  a  place  on  one  of  our  ships, 
and  you  shall  be  promoted  as  rapidly  as  you 
are  qualified  to  rise." 

Jack  looked  gratified,  for  he  knew  the  value 
of  so  powerful  a  friend. 

Late  in  the  evening  the  boys  took  leave  of 
the  hospitable  merchant,  and  three  days  after- 
ward they  embarked  for  New  York. 


CHAPTER  XXXV. 

SOME  OLD   ACQUAINTANCES. 

WE  will  now  return  to  America,  and  for 
the  benefit  of  those  readers  who  are  not 
familiar  with  Harry's  early  adventures,  as  nar- 
rated in  the  story  of  "Facing  the  World,"  I 
will  give  a  brief  account  of  his  story  before  set- 
ting out  on  the  voyage  to  Australia, 

Left  an  orphan,  with  a  scanty  patrimony 
amounting  to  three  hundred  dollars,  Harry 
left  it  all  in  the  hands  of  his  father's  friend, 
Mr.  Benjamin  Howard  of  Ferguson,  and  set 
out,  not  in  quest  of  a  fortune,  but  of  a  liveli- 
hood. He  had  been  recommended  by  his 
father  to  seek  a  cousin  of  his,  John  Fox  of 
Colebrook,  and  place  himself  under  his  guar- 
dianship. He  visited  Mr.  Fox,  but  found  him 
so  mean  and  grasping  that  he  left  him  after 
a  brief  stay,  preparing  to  face  the  world  with- 
out assistance.  Mr.  Fox,  who  had  two  chil- 
dren, Joel  and  Sally,  was  greatly  disap- 


SOME   OLD   ACQUAINTANCES.  289 

pointed,  as  lie  bad  hoped  to  get  control  of  the 
boy's  slender  property,  and  convert  it  to  his 
own  use.  He  pursued  Harry,  but  was  unable 
to  overtake  and  capture  him. 

Months  passed,  and  John  Fox  heard  nothing 
of  his  wandering  relative. 

One  day,  however,  he  came  home  trium- 
phant. 

"  Well,  Maria,"  he  said,  addressing  his  wife, 
"I've  heard  of  Harry  Vane." 

"You  don't  say  !  "  ejaculated  Joel,  his  face 
screwed  up  into  an  expression  of  curiosity. 
"  What  did  you  hear  ?  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"Joel,"  answered  his  father,  with  an  at- 
tempt at  solemnity,  "the  judgments  of  the 
Lord  have  fallen  upon  your  unhappy  cousin." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Mr.  Fox? "  asked  his 
wife,  showing  curiosity  in  turn. 

"  I  mean  that  he  is  lying  dead  at  the  bottom 
of  the  sea." 

"Don't  be  so  tantalizing,  Mr.  Fox.  If 
you  know  anything  about  the  boy,  out 
with  it !  " 

When  Mrs.  Fox  spoke  in  this  tone  her  hus- 
band knew  that  she  would  not  stand  any  non- 
19 


290  IN    A    NEW    WORLD. 

sense.  So  lie  answered  without  delay.  "  Soon 
after  be  left  our  happy  home,  Maria,  he 
shipped  on  board  the  Nantuckpt,  as  a  common 
sailor,  I  presume,  and  the  ship  was  lost  off  in 
the  Southern  Ocean  with  all  on  board." 

"How  awful,  pa,"  said  Sally,  who  alone  of 
all  the  family  had  felt  kindly  toward  Harry, 
"  and  he  was  so  good-looking,  too  !  " 

"He  wasn't  a  bit  better  looking  than  Joel," 
said  her  mother  sharply. 

"Oh,  ma!" 

"It's  true.  I  never  could  see  any  good 
looks  in  him,  and  it  doesn't  become  you,  miss, 
to  go  against  your  own  brother.  How  did  you 
find  it  out,  Mr.  Fox?" 

"I  came  across  an  old  copy  of  the  New 
York  Herald,  giving  an  account  of  the  disas- 
ter, and  mentioning  Harry  Vane  as  one  of 
the  passengers.  Of  course  it's  a  mistake, 
for  he  must  have  been  one  of  the  common 
sailors." 

"  Well,  I  reckon  there's  no  call  for  us  to 
put  on  mourning,"  said  Mrs.  Fox. 

"I  don't  know  about  that.  It  might  look 
better." 


SOME   OLD   ACQUAINTANCES.  291 

"  What  do  we  care  about  Harry  Vane  ?  " 

"My  dear,  he  left  property,"  said  Mr.  Fox 
significantly.  "There's  three  hundred  dol- 
lars in  the  hands  of  that  man  in  Ferguson, 
besides  the  money  he  got  for  saving  the  train, 
as  much  as  two  hundred  dollars.  As  we  are 
his  only  relatives,  that  money  ought  to  come 
to  us  by  rights." 

"That's  so,  husband.  On  the  whole,  I'll  put 
a  black  ribbon  on  my  bonnet." 

"And  I'll  wear  a  black  necktie,"  said  Joel. 
"  How  much  of  the  money  am  I  to  have?" 

"Wait  till  we  get  it,"  said  his  father 
shortly. 

"  What  steps  do  you  propose  to  take  in  this 
matter,  Mr.  Fox  ?  "  queried  his  wife. 

"I'm  going  to  Ferguson  to-morrow,  to  see 
Mr.  Benjamin  Howard.  Of  course  he  won't 
want  to  give  up  the  money,  but  I'll  show  him 
I  mean  business,  and  am  not  to  be  trifled 
with." 

"That's  right,  pa,"  said  Joel  approvingly. 

"Five  hundred  dollars  will  give  us  quite  a 
lift,"  said  Mrs.  Fox  thoughtfully. 

"  So  it  will,  so  it  will,  my  dear.     Of  course, 


292  IN   A   NEW   WOULD. 

I'm  sorry  to  liear  of  the  poor  boy's  death, 
but  I  shall  insist  upon  my  rights,  all  the 
same." 

Mrs.  Fox  warmly  approved  of  her  husband's 
determination,  being  quite  as  mean  and 
money-loving  as  he.  • 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

A   HEART-BROKEN   RELATIVE. 

"TATE  in  th  3  afternoon,  John  Fox  knocked 
-LJ  at  the  door  of  Benjamin  Howard,  in  the 
town  of  Ferguson.  It  was  a  hundred  miles 
distant  from  Colebrook,  his  own  residence,  and 
he  grudged  the  three  dollars  he  had  spent  for 
railroad  fare ;  still  he  thought  that  the  stake 
was  worth  playing  for. 

"I  am  John  Fox  of  Colebrook,"  he  said, 
when  Mr.  Howard  entered  the  room.  "You 
may  have  heard  of  me." 

"I  have,"  answered  Mr.  Howard,  slightly 
smiling. 

"I  am  the  only  living  relative  of  Harry 
Vane,  that  is,  I  and  my  family." 

"I  have  heard  Harry  speak  of  you,"  said 
Mr.  Howard,  non-committally. 

"Yes,  poor  boy!  I  wish  he  were  alive;" 
and  Mr.  Fox  drew  out  a  red  bandanna  hand- 

293 


294  IN   A    NEW    WORLD. 

kerchief  and  covered  liis  eyes,  in  which  there 
were  no  tears. 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  asked  Mr.  Howard, 
startled. 

"  Then  you  haven't  heard  ?  " 

"  Heard— what  ?" 

"That  le  sailed  in  the  ship  Nantucket, 
which  was  lost,  with  all  on  board,  in  the 
Southern  Ocean?" 

It  so  happened  that  Mr.  Howard  had  re- 
ceived a  letter  from  Harry  after  his  arrival  in 
Australia,  and  so  knew  that  Harry  was  not 
lost.  For  i  moment  he  thought  Mr.  Fox 
might  have  later  information,  but  saw  that  it 
was  not  so.  He  decided  to  draw  Mr.  Fox  on, 
and  ascertain  his  object  in  calling. 

"  I  hope  that  this  is  not  so,"  he  said  gravely. 

"  There  is  not  a  doubt  of  it,"  answered  Fox. 
"There's  an  account  of  the  loss  of  the  vessel 
in  the  New  York  Herald.  I  cut  it  out,  and 
have  it  in  my  pocket-book.  Would  you  like 
to  see  it?" 

"If  you  please." 

Mr.  Fox  produced  the  scrap,  and  asked 
triumphantly,  "  Doesn't  that  settle  it  ?" 


A    HEART-BROXEX    RELATIVE.  295 

"  Suppose  that  it  does,  what  then  ?" 

''What  then?  It  follows  that  Harry's 
money  comes  to  me  and  my  family,  as  the  only 
surviving  relatives.  You've  got  money  of  his, 
the  boy  told  me." 

"Yes." 

"  About  how  much  ? " 

"  About  three  hundred  dollars." 

"So  I  thought.  That  money  ought  to  be 
handed  over  to  me." 

"  I  don't  see  that,  Mr.  Fox." 

"You  don't  see  that?"  interrogated  Fox 
sharply.  "Do  you  mean  to  keep  it  your- 
self?" 

"Not  for  my  own  use ;  I  am  not  that  kind  of 
a  man,  Mr.  Fox.  But  I  have  no  authority  to 
hand  the  money  over  in  the  unceremonious 
way  you  expect." 

* '  Wh y  not  ?    Isn'  t  the  boy  dead  1 ' ' 

"I  have  no  proof  of  it." 

"  What  better  proof  do  you  want  than  the 
New  York  Her  aid?" 

"The  account  in  the  Herald  may  contain 
errors." 

"Perhaps  you  think  the  boy  could  swim  to 


296  IX    A    NEW    WOULD. 

shore  a  few  hundred  miles,"  suggested  John 
Fox  with  sarcasm. 

"  No,  I  don't  think  that  likely." 

"Then  what  possible  chance  had  he  to 
escape  ? " 

"  He  might  have  been  rescued  by  a  passing 
vessel." 

"Look  here,  Mr.  Howard,"  said  Fox  indig- 
nantly, "  you  don't  mean  what  you  say.  You 
evidently  mean  to  keep  that  money  from  the 
lawful  claimants.  I  am  not  much  surprised. 
I  expected  it.  But  I  can  tell  you  here  and 
now  that  John  Fox  isn't  a  man  to  be  cheated 
and  imposed  upon.  I  mean  to  have  my 
rights." 

"Are  you  aware,  Mr.  Fox,  that  your  lan- 
guage is  offensive  and  insulting?" 

"I  don't  care.  I  came  here  for  justice. 
That  money  ought  not  to  be  in  your  hands,  who 
are  no  kith  nor  kin  to  Harry  Vane.  It  ought 
to  go  to  me,  and  I  mean  to  sue  you  for  it." 

"  Mr.  Fox,  I  propose  to  obey  the  law,  but  it 
appears  to  me  that  you  are  taking  it  for 
granted  that  Harry  Vane  is  dead  without  suffi- 
cient proof." 


A   IIEAIIT-BIIOKEN   RELATIVE.  297 

"What  more  proof  do  you  want  than  this 
paragraph?  The  fact  is,  you  don't  want  to 
believe  it." 

"No  !  "  answered  Mr.  Howard  in  a  tone  of 
emotion,  "I  don't  want  to  believe  that  poor 
Harry  is  dead." 

"Nor  I,"  said  John  Fox.  "If  the  boy 
hadn't  been  foolish  and  left  my  happy  home, 
he'd  have  been  alive  to-day.  But  we  can't 
alter  facts.  He's  dead,  and  all  our  grief  won't 
bring  him  back." 

Benjamin  Howard  looked  at  the  man  curi- 
ously. "His  grief  doesn't  seem  to  be  very 
profound,"  he  thought.  "I  will  test  him." 

"  Even  if  I  were  convinced  that  poor  Harry 
was  dead,"  he  said,  "  I  should  not  deliver  up 
the  money  till  you  had  established  a  legal 
claim  to  it." 

"So  you  mean  to  put  all  possible  obstacles 
in  my  way,"  said  John  Fox,  provoked.  "  I 
thought  so.  But,  Mr.  Howard,  let  me  tell  you 
that  you  can't  rob  the  orphan." 

"  Meaning  yourself  ?  " 

"No,  I  mean  the  dead  boy — that  is  the 
orphan's  estate — without  settling  with  me.  I 


298  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

am  a  man  of  influence,  I'd  have  you  know,  and 
I'll  put  the  matter  in  the  hands  of  the  lawyer 
right  off." 

"It  might  be  well,  first,  to  listen  to  what  I 
have  to  say." 

"  Aha  !  he's  scared  !  "  thought  Jolm  Fox. 

"I'm  ready  to  hear  what  you've  got  to  say," 
he  answered,  "but  it  won't  influence  me  a 
particle." 

"  I  think  it  will.     Harry  Vane  is  alive  !  " 

"  What ! "  ejaculated  John  Fox,  his  face 
expressing  his  dismay.  "It's  a  lie.  I  don't 
believe  it." 

"Georgie,"  said  Mr.  Howard  to  his  little 
son,  who  just  then  entered  the  room,  "goto 
my  desk  and  bring  me  Harry  Yane's  letter." 

This  was  done  at  once,  Jolm  Fox  meanwhile 
sitting  in  painful  suspense. 

"This  letter,"  said  Mr.  Howard,  taking  it 
fh  his  hand,  "was  posted,  as  you  see,  at  Mel- 
bourne, Australia.  Harry  was  shipwrecked  on 
an  island,  from  which  he  finally  escaped,  and 
was  carried  to  Melbourne.  He  writes  me  that 
he  has  gone  to  the  mines,  and  is  hoping  to  find 
some  gold  there." 


A    HEART-BROKEN-    RELATIVE.  299 

"Is  this  true?"  asked  Fox  in  a  hollow 
voice. 

"I  will  read  you  the  letter,  and  show  you 
the  signature." 

"I  think  it's  a  forgery." 

"  No  chance  of  that.  I  know  Harry  Vane's 
handwriting  well.  But  you  don't  look  well, 
Mr.  Fox.  I  thought  you  would  be  pleased  to 
hear  that  Harry  had  escaped  from  the  perils  of 
shipwreck  and  is  alive." 

John  Fox  did  not  reply,  but  after  exami- 
ning the  letter  he  rose  with  a  rueful  counte- 
nance, and  departed  unceremoniously,  a  badly 
disappointed  man. 

"  It  '11  cost  me  three  dollars  to  get  back,"  he 
groaned,  "and  I  shall  have  to  stop  at  a  hotel, 
for  there  is  no  train  till  to-morrow.  'Most  ten 
dollars  gone  altogether — just  thrown  away! 
I'm  a  very  unlucky  man." 

The  news  he  carried  home  brought  grief  to 
Mrs.  Fox  and  Joel.  Only  Sally  seemed  glad 
that  Harry  was  still  living.  For  so  express- 
ing herself  she  was  severely  rebuked  by  her 
mother. 


CHAPTER  XXXVII. 

HOME    AGAIN. 

IT  was  a  bright,  beautiful  morning  \vlien 
our  three  friends  landed  in  New  York. 
Their  voyage  had  been  a  favorable  one,  and 
they  had  made  some  pleasant  acquaintances, 
but  they  were  overjoyed  to  tread  once  more 
the  familiar  streets  and  see  the  familiar  sights 
of  the  American  metropolis. 

They  registered  at  a  quiet  hotel  on  the 
European  system,  intending  to  remain  in  the 
city  a  few  days.  They  sought  out  a  promi- 
nent broker  and  asked  his  advice  about  the 
investment  of  their  money.  He  received  them 
in  a  friendly  manner,  and  gave  them  the  best 
advice  in  his  power.  Each  reserved  three 
hundred  dollars  for  present  use. 

It  was  a  novelty  to  all  of  them  to  be  free 
from  anxiety  on  the  score  of  money,  and  it 
may  well  be  believed  that  all  enjoyed  the 


feeling. 


300 


HOME    AGAIN.  301 

The  second  morning,  as  they  were  walking 
down  Broadway,  their  eyes  fell  upon  a  famil- 
iar figure.  Directly  in  front  of  them  they 
beheld  a  slender  young  man,  dressed  in  the 
extreme  of  fashion,  swinging  a  light  cane. 
As  lie  walked  along  it  was  easy  to  see  that  he 
was  on  the  most  comfortable  and  agreeable 
terms  with  himself,  and  firmly  persuaded  that 
lie  was  an  object  of  general  admiration. 

"Montgomery  Clinton!"  exclaimed  Harry 
and  Jack  simultaneously. 

"You  don't  mean  to  say  you  knoAv  that 
critter!"  said  Obed,  eying  Mr.  Clinton  with 
evident  curiosity. 

"  Yes,  he  was  one  of  the  NantucJcet  passen- 
gers, and  shipwrecked  with  us,"  said  Harry. 
"  He  did  not  remain  in  Australia,  but  took  a 
return  vessel  at  once." 

"That  was  lucky.  A  critter  like  that 
wouldn't  be  of  much  account  at  the 
mines." 

"  Stop  !  I  am  going  to  speak  to  him." 

Harry  quickened  his  step,  and  touched  Mr. 
Clinton  on  the  shoulder. 

Clinton  turned  languidly,  but  when  he  saw 


302  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

who  it  was    his  face  expressed    undisguised 
pleasure. 

"Mr.  Yane ! "  he  exclaimed.  "I'm  aw- 
fully glad  to  see  you,  don't  you  know?" 

"You  haven't  forgotten  ray  friend  Jack, 
I  hope,"  said  Harry,  indicating  the  young 
sailor. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  him,  too,"  said  Mr.  Clin- 
ton, with  modified  pleasure,  offering  two 
fingers  for  Jack  to  shake,  for  he  had  not  for- 
gotten that  Jack  had  been  a  sailor. 

"  When  did  you  come  from  Australia?" 
asked  Clinton. 

"We  only  arrived  day  before  yester- 
day." 

"And  what  luck  did  you  have  at  the 
mines?" 

"  We  struck  it  rich.  We  are  all  capitalists, 
Jack  and  all." 

'  "  You  don't  say  so  !  I  wish  I  had  gone  with 
you,  really  now." 

"I  don't  think  you'd  have  liked  it,  Mr. 
Clinton.  We  had  a  hard  time.  We  had  to 
wade  through  mud  and  mire,  and  sleep  on  the 
ground,  and  twice  we  were  captured  by  bush- 


HOME    AGAIN.  303 

rangers.     They   wanted    Jack   and   myself  to 
join  the  band." 

"  You  don't  say  so — really  ?  " 

"They  might  have  made  you  a  bushranger, 
Mr.  Clinton,  if  they  had  caught  you." 

"I  never  would  consent,  never!"  said  Mr. 
Clinton,  with  emphasis. 

Jack  smiled  at  the  idea  of  the  elegant  Mr. 
Clinton  being  transformed  into  an  outlaw  and 
bushranger. 

"  I  am  awfully  glad  I  did  not  go  with  yon," 
he  said,  shuddering. 

"Let  me  make  you  acquainted  with  my 
friend,  Mr.  Obed  Stackpole,  Mr.  Clinton,"  said 
Harry.  "  He  was  with  us  in  all  our  trials  and 
dangers." 

Montgomery  Clinton  surveyed  Obed  with 
evident  curiosity.  The  long  gaunt  figure  of 
the  Yankee  was  clad  in  a  loose  rough  suit 
which  was  too  large  for  him,  and  Clinton 
shuddered  at  the  barbarous  way  in  jvhich  he 
was  attired. 

"Ghid  to  make  your  acquaintance,  Mr. 
Stickpole,"  he  said  politely. 

if  it's    all   the  same   to   you, 


304  IIST   A    NEW    WORLD. 

friend  Clinton,"  corrected  Obed.  "Glad  to 
see  any  friend  of  Harry's  and  Jack's.  You 
look  as  if  you  had  just  come  out  of  a  band- 
box." 

"Ob,  thank  you,"  said  the  gratified  dude. 
"You're  awfully  kind.  My  friends  think  I 
have  a  little  taste  in  dress." 

"My  friends  never  paid  me  that  compli- 
ment," said  Obed.  "Say,  how  do  you  like 
my  fit  out?  " 

"  I — I  don't  think  they  have  very  good  tail- 
ors in  Australia,"  said  Clinton  hesitatingly. 

"Have  you  as  many  pairs  of  trousers  as 
ever,  Mr.  Clinton?"  asked  Harry. 

"  I  have  only  nineteen,  Mr.  Vane,  but  I  shall 
order  some  more  soon." 

"Nineteen  pairs  of  breeches!"  ejaculated 
Obed  in  amazement.  "What  in  the  name  of 
Jehoshaphat  do  you  want  of  so  many?" 

"Well,  I  don't  want  to  have  people  get 
used  to  seeing  me  in  the  same  trousers,  don't 
you  know,  so  every  day  I  wear  a  different 
pair." 

"  It  must  cost  a  mint  of  money  to  buy  so 
many  clothes." 


HOME   AGAIN.  305 

"Oh,  I  have  accounts  with  four  or  five  tail- 
ors. They're  willing  to  wait,  don't  you  know. 
They  appreciate  a  gentleman's  custom." 

"How  long  do  they  wait  ?  "  asked  Harry. 

"I'm  owing  some  two  years.  There's  lots  of 
fellows  make  them  wait  as  long." 

"That  aint  my  way,"  said  Obed.  "I  pay 
cash.  Don't  they  make  a  fuss?" 

"Oh,  they  send  in  their  bills,  but  I  don't 
take  any  notice  of  them,"  said  Clinton  lan- 
guidly. 

" Then,  young  man,"  said  Obed,  "let  me  ad- 
vise you  to  pay  your  bills,  and  get  back  your 
self-respect.  I'd  go  six  months  with  only  a 
single  pair  of  breeches,  sooner  than  cheat  a 
tailor  out  of  a  new  pair." 

"I  never  wear  breeches,"  drawled  Clinton, 
with  a  shudder.  "I  don't  know  what  they 
are.  Mr.  Yarie,  those  trousers  you  have  on 
are  very  unbecoming.  Let  me  introduce  you 
to  my  tailor.  He'll  fit  you  out  in  fashionable 
style." 

"Thank  you.  I  believe  I  do  need  a  new 
pair." 

"  Will  he  fit  me,  too  ?  "  asked  Obed. 

20 


306  IX   A    NEW    WORLD. 

"He  don't  make — breeches  !  "  said  Clinton 
disdainfully. 

"  A  good  hit,  by  Jehosbapbat !  "  exclaimed 
Obed,  slapping  Clinton  on  the  back  with  such 
emphasis  that  he  was  nearly  upset. 

"Don't  hit  quite  so  hard,"  said  the  dude 
ruefully.  "  You  nearly  upset  me,  don't  you 
know?" 

"I  know  it  now.  The  fact  is,  friend  Clin- 
ton, you  ought  to  be  shut  up  in  a  glass  case, 
and  put  on  exhibition  in  a  dime  museum." 

"  How  awfully  horrid  !  "  protested  Clinton. 

"  You're  more  fit  for  ornament  than  use." 

"You're  awfully  sarcastic,  Mr.  Stickpole, 
don't  you  know?"  said  Clinton,  edging  off 
cautiously.  "  I  must  bid  you  good-morning, 
Mr.  Vane,  as  I  have  to  buy  a  new  neck  tie.  I 
will  go  to  the  tailor's  any  day." 

"What  was  such  a  critter  made  for,  any- 
way?" queried  Obed,  when  Clinton  was  out 
of  hearing.  "He  looks  for  all  the  world  like 
a  tailor's  dummy." 


CHAPTER  XXXVIIL 

THE  BOYS   SECURE  POSITIONS. 

BEFORE  leaving  New  York,  Harry  Yane 
decided  to  call  upon  the  nephew  to 
whom  Mr.  Woolson  of  Melbourne  had  given 
him  a  letter  of  introduction.  Upon  inquiry, 
he  found  that  John  Woolson  &  Co.  (the  style 
of  the  firm)  were  large  importers  in  the  lower 
part  of  the  city. 

Accompanied  by  Jack,  he  called  one  morn- 
ing. Mr.  John  Woolson,  a  courteous  gentle- 
man, about  forty  years  of  age,  received  him 
with  politeness,  which  changed  to  cordiality 
when  he  had  read  his  uncle's  letter. 

"My  uncle  writes  here  that  you  two  young' 
gentlemen  recently  rendered  him  an  important 
service." 

"We  were  fortunate  enough  to  save  him 
from  being  robbed,"  said  Harry  modestly. 

"And  maltreated,  also,    I  presume,"    said 

307 


308  IN   A   NEW    WOULD. 

the  nephew.  "When  did  you  arrive  in  New 
York?" 

"  Last  Thursday,  sir." 

"Did  you  leave  my  uncle  well  ?" 

"  He  looked  in  excellent  health." 

"How  long  do  you  remain  in  the  city? 
What  are  your  plans?" 

"  We  think  of  leaving  to-morrow.  We  wish 
to  see  friends  from  whom  we  have  long  been 
parted." 

"  My  uncle  wishes  me  to  offer  you  a  position 
in  my  establishment,  Mr.  Vane.  If  that  will 
meet  your  views,  I  shall  be  happy  to  receive 
you." 

"I  should  like  nothing  better,  sir,"  replied 
Harry,  his  eyes  sparkling. 

"  Will  fifteen  dollars  a  week  satisfy  you  to 
begin  with?" 

"But,  sir,  I  can't  hope  to  earn  as  much  as 
that," 

"Well  perhaps  not,  just  at  first,"  said  the 
merchant,  smiling;  "but  if  your  looks  don't 
belie  you,  it  will  not  be  long  before  your  ser- 
vices will  be  worth  that  sum.  At  any  rate  I 
am  ready  to  pay  it." 


THE   BOYS   SECURE   POSITIONS.  309 

"Thank  you,  sir,"  said  Harry  gratefully. 
"  When  would  yon  wish  me  to  commence?" 

"  When  yon  please.  Yon  had  better  take 
a  vacation  of  a  month  to  visit  your  friends. 
Then  come  to  the  city,  and  enter  my  employ- 
ment." 

Harry  renewed  his  thanks,  and  Mr.  Wool- 
son  turned  to  Jack. 

"  Yon  have  been  trained  as  a  sailor,  I  be- 
lieve," he  said. 

"Yes,  sir." 

"  Do  you  wish  to  follow  the  sea  ? " 

"Yes,  sir,"  answered  Jack  promptly.  "I 
love  the  sea." 

"  Then  I  will  find  you  a  good  position  on  one 
of  my  ships,  commend  you  specially  to  the 
captain  as  a  young  friend  of  mine,,  and  pro- 
mote you  as  fast  as  your  progress  in  seaman- 
ship will  warrant  my  doing  so." 

Now  it  was  Jack's  turn  to  look  jubilant,  for 
nothing  conld  have  suited  him  better. 

"You  too  will  want  a  vacation.  Take  as 
long  as  you  like,  and  then  come  to  me.  By 
the  way,  I  don't  know  how  you  are  situated 
as  regards  money.  If  either  of  you  desires  an 


310  I1ST  A   NEW   WORLD. 

advance,  I  shall  be  glad  to  accommodate 
you." 

"We  met  with  good  luck  at  the  mines," 
said  Harry,  "  and  are  both  well  supplied  with 
money.  We  thank  you,  however,  for  your 
kind  offer." 

The  boys  left  the  office  in  high  spirits. 

"I  don't  see  but  our  prospects  are  bright, 
Jack,"  said  Harry. 

"I  didn't  think  so  when  we  were  on  the 
island,"  said  Jack,  "or  when  we  were  cap- 
tives among  the  bushrangers." 

"No;  we  have  certainly  seen  some  hard 
times.  Let  us  hope  that  we  have  had  our 
share,  and  may  look  forward  now  to  happier 
days." 

Now  that  their  future  was  arranged,  the 
boys  were  in  a  hurry  to  leave  the  city  and 
visit  their  friends.  Obed  sympathized  with 
them. 

''Boys,"  said  he,  "  I'm  gettin'  kinder  home- 
sick. There's  an  old  man  and  a  girl  I  want  to 
see,  and  tell  'em  of  my  good  luck." 

"Your  father  and " 

"  Suke   Stan  wood.     Suke  has  been  waitin' 


THE   BOYS   SECURE   POSITIONS.  311 

for  me  five  years,  and  there  aint  no  need  of 
waitin'  any  longer.  If  all  goes  well  she'll  be 
Mrs.  Obed  Stackpole  within  a  month." 

"She  may  not  be  able  to  get  her  wedding 
things  so  soon,  Obed." 

"  She  don't  need  any  wedding  things.  Any 
dress  '11  do  to  be  married  in." 

"  You  will  send  us  some  cards  and  cake,  I 
hope,  Obed." 

"  Better' n  that:  I'll  send  you  an  invite  to 
the  weddin'." 

"Then  it  '11  have  to  come  soon,  Obed.  I 
shall  be  gone  to  the  city,  and  Jack  to  sea 
within  a  month." 

"Then  we'll  hurry  it  up.  It'll  give  me  a 
good  excuse.  But  there's  one  thing  I'm  going 
to  do  before  I  get  married." 

"  What  is  that «" 

"Pay  off  the  mortgage  on  dad's  farm.  It's 
only  a  thousand  dollars,  but  dad  couldn't  lift 
it  if  he  lived  to  a  hundred." 

"And  what  are  you  going  to  do,  Obed?  " 

"There's  a  farm  alongside  I  can  buy  for 
twenty-five  hundred  dollars,  with  a  comfort- 
able house  thrown  in.  I  can  buy  it,  and  have 


812  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

more  than  enough  money  left  to  furnish  the 
house  and  stock  the  farm." 

"I  wish  you  happiness,  Obed ;  but  don't 
you  think  you'll  ever  pine  to  be  back  in 
Australia?" 

"I  may  hanker  after  a  sight  of  Fletcher 
and  his  two  cronies,  Colson  and  Ropes,"  re- 
turned Obed  with  dry  humor,  "but  we  can't 
have  everything  in  this  world,  and  I'll  try  to 
nib  along  with  the  blessings  I  have." 

Let  me  add  here  that  Obed  carried  out  his 
programme.  He  paid  the  mortgage,  bought 
the  farm,  and  in  less  than  three  weeks  he  was 
a  married  man.  Harry  and  Jack  were  at  the 
wedding,  and  received  great  attention  from  all 
Obed's  friends.  To  the  inhabitants  of  the 
little  village  it  seemed  wonderful  that  boys  so 
young  should  have  traveled  so  far,  and  passed 
through  such  varied  experiences. 

"I  expect  an  invite  to  each  of  your  wed- 
dings, boys,"  said  Obed,  as  they  were  on  the 
point  of  leaving  him.  "One  good  turn  de- 
serves another." 

"  You  will  have  to  exercise  a  little  patience, 
Obed,"  said  Harry,  smiling. 


THE   BOYS   SECURE   POSITIONS.  313 

"Don't  wait  as  long  as  I  did,"  said  Obed. 
"I  got  to  be  a  cranky  old  bachelor  before  I 
hitched  horses." 

"  Mrs.  Stackpole  will  soon  cure  you  of  that," 
said  Harry,  with  a  smile. 


CHAPTER  XXXIX. 

CONCLUSION. 

WHEN  Harry  had  completed  his  business 
in  New  York,  lie  took  the  train  at 
once  to  his  native  village.  His  arrival  made 
quite  a  sensation.  Not  only  Mr.  Howard,  his 
father's  friend,  received  him  with  joy,  but 
there  were  many  other  friends  besides  who 
rejoiced  in  his  good  fortune. 

"You  have  been  very  fortunate,  Harry," 
said  Mr.  Howard.  "Yon  tell  me  that  you 
have  about  five  thousand  dollars  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir,  and  it  makes  me  feel  rich." 

"Besides  the  two  thousand  dollars  I  have 
in  charge  for  you." 

"Two  thousand  dollars!"  ejaculated 
Harry  in  amazement.  "You  mean  three 
hundred,  Mr.  Howard." 

"No,  I  mean  what  I  say,"  replied  his 
friend,  with  a  smile. 

"  But  I  don't  understand " 

314 


'      CONCLUSION.  315 

"Don't  you  remember  the  fifty  shares  of 
mining  stock  you  placed  in  my  hands  ?  " 

"  Yes,  they  were  given  me  by  my  father.  I 
thought  them  worthless." 

"A  month  ago  I  learned  the  contrary.  I 
took  the  liberty,  without  consulting  you,  as 
you  were  absent,  to  sell  them.  They  realized 
seventeen  hundred  dollars  net,  thus  carrying 
up  the  amount  in  my  hands  to  two  thousand 
dollars." 

"  Is  it  possible  that  I  am  worth  seven  thou- 
sand dollars  ?  It  seems  wonderful !  " 

"  But  the  best  of  it  is  that  it  is  true.  Then 
was  there  not  a  sum  of  money  which  you  re- 
ceived for  saving  a  railroad  train  I  " 

"Yes,  I  have  used  part  of  it,  but  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty  dollars  remain.  It  is  in  the 
hands  of  a  Mr.  Conway,  president  of  the 
road." 

"Then  it  appears  to  me,  Harry,  taken  in 
connection  with  your  offer  of  employment  in 
New  York,  you  are  in  a  very  enviable  position. 
How  old  are  you?" 

"I  shall  soon  be  seventeen." 

"  Then  yon  are  beginning  the  world  young. 


316  IN  A   NEW   WORLD. 

Continue  to  deserve  good  fortune,  and  you  are 
likely  to  prosper." 

Before  returning  to  New  York  Harry  felt 
inclined  to  visit  his  would-be  guardian,  John 
Fox,  whose  treatment  of  him  has  been  re- 
corded at  length  in  "Facing  the  World." 

He  took  the  train,  as  before,  to  Bolton,  and 
thence  went  by  stage  to  Colebrook.  He  walked 
to  the  Fox  mansion,  and  going  up  to  the  front 
door  knocked. 

The  door  was  opened  by  Mrs.  Fox  herself. 
She  did  not  immediately  recognize  Harry  in 
his  handsome  suit,  with  a  gold  chain  crossing 
his  vest,  attached,  it  may  be  added,  to  a  hand- 
some gold  watch,  which  he  had  bought  in 
New  York. 

"  What  is  your  business,  young  man  ? "  she 
asked. 

"Don't  you  remember  me,  Mrs.  Fox?" 
asked  Harry. 

"  Land's  sake  !  It  aint  Harry  Vane  !  "  she 
exclaimed  in  wonder. 

"Yes,  it  is,"  answered  Harry,  smiling.  "I 
hope  Mr.  Fox  and  Joel  are  well." 

"Come  in,  and  I'll  call  Joel.     You've  been 


CONCLUSION.  317 

doing  well,  aint  you?"  she  asked,   surveying 

him  with  eager  curiosity. 

"  I  have  been  very  fortunate  indeed." 

"I  thought  you  was  drowned — wrecked  on 

a  ship  or  something." 

"  If  I  was,  I  have  come  to  life  again." 

"  Well,  well,  it's  strange.     I'll  call  Joel." 

Joel,    who  was   at  the  barn,    soon  entered. 

He,  too,  surveyed  Harry  curiously. 

"How   d'y'   do?"   he    said.     "I   never  ex- 
pected to  set  eyes  on  you  again.     Is   that  a 

gold  watch  you  have?" 
"  Yes,  Joel." 

"  Let  me  see  it.     How  much  did  it  cost  ? " 
"  A  hundred  dollars,  besides  the  chain." 
"Gosh  !     Aint  that  a  sight  of  money !     Did 

you  spend  all  your  money  on  it  ?  " 
"  No,  I  bought  a  chain  too." 
"  To  my  mind  you  was  very  foolish  to  spend 

all  your  hard  earnin's  that  way  !     There's  no 

fool    like    a    young    fool,"    said     Mrs.   Fox 

severely. 

"  But,  Mrs.  Fox,  I  have  some  money  left." 
"How  much  ?  "  asked  Joel  eagerly. 
"  Seven  thousand  dollars." 


318  IN   A   NEW   WORLD, 

"  Gosh  all  Jerusalem  !  you  aint  yarnin',  be 
you  ?  Seven  thousand  dollars  1  " 

"  Who's  talkin'  of  seven  thousand  dollars?" 
asked  a  familiar  voice,  as  Mr.  Fox  entered  the 
room. 

"  Harry  Vane  says  he's  worth  seven  thou- 
sand dollars  !  "  exclaimed  Joel  in  a  tone  made 
up  of  amazement,  jealousy,  and  wonder. 

"Is  that  true?"  asked  John  Fox  in  equal 
amazement. 

"Yes,  Mr.  Fox." 

"But  how  on  'arth " 

Then  Harry  gave  a  full  explanation,  witli 
which  I  don't  propose  to  trouble  the  reader,  as 
it  would  be  a  twice-told  tale. 

"  Some  folks  seem  born  to  luck  !  "  said  Mr. 
Fox  furiously,  when  Harry  had  completed  his 
story.  "Joel  may  work  and  toil  all  his  life, 
and  he  won't  get  no  seven  thousand  dollars. 
It  seems  hard  !  " 

John  Fox  had  been  much  impressed  by 
Harry's  luck,  and  his  avaricious  soul  was 
busying  itself  with  some  scheme  for  turning  it 
to  his  personal  advantage. 

"I'm  glad  you've  been  so  lucky,  Harry," 


CONCLUSION.  319 

lie  said  with  affected  cordiality.  "It  beats  all, 
I  must  say.  I've  no  doubt  you  are  ready  now 
to  carry  out  your  dear  father's  dyin'  wish." 

"  What  was  that,  Mr.  Fox  ?  " 

"He  wanted  me  to  be  your  guardeen.  It 
stands  to  reason  a  boy  of  sixteen  aint  to  be 
trusted  with  so  much  money.  Now  I'm  an 
experienced  man  of  business,  and  I'm  willin' 
to  be  your  guardeen,  and  I  won't  charge  you  a 
cent  for  takin'  care  of  your  property  except 
board  money." 

"Thank  you,  Mr.  Pox,"  said  Harry,  with  an 
amused  smile,  "but  I  am  offered  a  place  in 
New  York  at  fifteen  dollars  a  week,  and  I  have 
friends  who  will  advise  me  about  the  invest- 
ment of  my  money." 

"Fifteen  dollars  a  week!"  repeated  Mr. 
Fox  dolefully.  "Can't  you  get  a  place  for 
Joel  in  the  same  store?" 

"  If  I  can  find  Joel  a  satisfactory  place  in 
the  city  I  will  do  so,"  said  Harry,  "but  I 
ought  to  say  that  my  employer  only  pays  me 
high  wages  out  of  favor." 

"I'll  take  ten,"  said  Joel  eagerly.  "You 
know  you  and  me  was  always  friends,  Harry." 


320  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

"Joel  always  liked  yon,"  said  politic  Mr. 
Fox. 

Harry  knew  better,  but  lie  was  on  good 
terms  with  the  world,  and  he  did  not  dispute 
this  statement. 

"I'll  do  what  I  can,"  he  said.  "Mean- 
while, Mr.  Fox,  I  should  like  to  make  Joel 
and  his  sister  a  small  present." 

He  gave  them  each  a  ten-dollar  bill,  which 
made  Joel's  eyes  sparkle  with  joy. 

Mr.  Fox  renewed  his  suggestion  that  Harry 
select  him  as  a  "  guardeen,"  but  Harry  politely 
but  firmly  declined  to  entertain  the  proposal. 
Nevertheless,  when  he  left  the  house,  he  was 
warmly  urged  to  come  again  and  often.  He 
understood  the  reason  of  the  cordiality,  and 
knew  very  well  that  if  he  had  come  back 
poor  his  reception  would  have  been  very 
different. 

Before  going  back  to  New  York  he  made  a 
visit  of  a  couple  of  days-  to  his  old  friend  and 
employer,  Professor  Hemmenway,  the  presti- 
digitateur,  who  was  delighted  with  the  success 
of  his  young  friend.  He  offered  Harry  a  new 
engagement,  but  of  course  it  was  declined. 


CONCLUSION.  321 

In  New  York  be  met  Jack,  and  inquired 
how  he  had  fared. 

"I  found  my  step-father  dying,"  answered 
Jack.  "In  fact  he  drank  himself  to  death 
after  wasting  all  mother's  property.  But  I 
have  bought  her  a  small  house,  and  insured 
her  an  income  sufficient  to  keep  her  comfort- 
able. The  last  will  require  some  of  my  prin- 
cipal, but  I  shall  be  earning  good  wages,  and 
can  make  it  up  when  I  return  home." 

"  When  do  you  sail,  Jack  ?  " 

"  Next  week,  on  one  of  Mr.  Woolson's  ships. 
I  am  to  go  to  China." 

"I  hope  you'll  steer  clear  of  the  island  we 
were  wrecked  on,  Jack." 

"  I  never  want  to  see  it  again,  Harry  ;  still  it 
brought  us  luck." 

"  I  shall  be  sorry  to  part  with  you,  Jack.  I 
wish  you  could  be  content  to  stay  in  New 
York." 

"No,  Harry,  I  can't  give  up  the  sea  yet.  It 
is  my  great  ambition  to  command  a  ship  my- 
self some  time." 

"I  think  you  will  accomplish  it,  Jack,  for 
you  stand  well  with  the  owners." 
21 


322  IN   A   NEW   WORLD. 

• 

Five  years  Lave  passed.  Harry  and  Jack 
are  eacli  twenty-one.  Harry  occupies  a  confi- 
dential position  with  the  firm,  and  is  likely  to 
be  a  partner  before  he  is  much  older.  Jack  is 
first  mate,  and  will  be  a  captain  before  he  is 
twenty-five.  His  mother  is  living,  and  happy 
in  his  success,  and  enjoying  the  comfortable 
home  he  has  provided  for  her. 

Harry  obtained  a  position  for  Joel  in  the 
city,  but  he  proved  unsatisfactory  to  his  em- 
ployer and  was  soon  discharged.  Another  sit- 
uation he  held  as  brief  a  time.  At  last  he  was 
obliged  to  go  home  and  assist  his  father,  who 
treats  him  almost  as  penurious! y  as  he  would 
have  done  Harry.  Joel  is  dissatisfied  and  un- 
happy, and  his  mother  thinks  he  was  born  to 
bad  luck,  but  those  who  know  Joel  think  his 
want  of  success  springs  from  a  different  source. 
Harry  and  Jack  obtained  success  because  they 
deserved  it.  If  Joel  were  more  like  them  he 
too  might  succeed.  And  I  am  sorry  to  say  he 
is  looking  forward  impatiently  to  the  time 
when  he  shall  inherit  his  father's  property. 
It  is  very  wrong,  but  perhaps  Mr.  Fox  himself 
is  partly  to  blame. 


CONCLUSION.  323 

Whenever  Jack  comes  home  from  a  voyage 
he  calls  upon  Harry,  and  together  they  talk 
over  their  adventures  in  a  New  World.  Some- 
times Obed  Stackpole  calls  also.  He  has  two 
boys,  whom  he  has  named  respectively  Harry 
and  Jack  in  honor  of  his  two  companions  in 
Australia. 


THE   END. 


THE 

FAMOUS 

CASTLEMON 

BOOKS. 

BY 

HARRY 
CASTLEMON. 


Specimen  Cover  of  the  Gunboat 
Series. 

No  author  of  the  present  day  has  become  a  greater  favorite  with  boys  than 
"Harry  Castle mon;  "  every  book  by  him  is  sure  to  meet  with  hearty  re- 
ception by  young  readers  generally.  H.s  naturalness  and  vivacity  lead  his 
readers  trom  page  to  page  with  breathless  interest,  and  when  one  volume  m 
finished  the  fascinated  reader,  like  Oliver  Twist,  asks  "  for  more." 

*»* Any  volume  sold  separately. 


tSUNBOAT  SERIES.      By  Harry  Castlemon.      6 
vols.,   I2mo.     Fully  illustrated.     Cloth,  extra,  printed 

in  colors.     In  box $7  50 

Frank,  the  Young  Naturalist I  25 

Frank  in  the  Woods i  25 

Frank  on  the  Prairie I  25 

Frank  on  a  Gunboat I  25 

Frank  before  Vicksbur§ I  25 

Frank  on  the  Lower  Mississippi !  25 


2  PORTER   4   COATES'S   POPULAR  JUVENILES. 

GO  AHEAD  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon.  3 
vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed 
in  colors.  In  box  ....  $37$' 

Q-0  Ahead ;  or,  The  Fisher  Boy's  Motto I  25 

Ho  Moss ;  or,  The  Career  of  a  Rolling  Stone  ....  I  25 
Tom  Newcombe  ;  or,  The  Boy  of  Bad  Habits  .  .  I  25 

ROCKY  MOUNTAIN  SERIES.  By  Harry 
Castlemon.  3  vols.,  iamo.  fully  illustrated.  Cloth, 
extra,  printed  in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

Frank  at  Don  Carlos'  Rancho i  25 

Frank  among  the  Rancheros i  25 

Frank  in  the  Mountains i  25 

SPORTSMAN'S  CLUB  SERIES.  By  Harry 
Castlemon.  3  vols.,  I2ino.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth, 
extra,  printed  in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

The   Sportsman's  Club  in  the  Saddle  ....      i  25 

The  Sportsman's  Club  Afloat i  25 

The  Sportsman's  Club  among  the  Trappers  .      i  25 

FRANK  NELSON  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castle- 
mon. 3  vols.  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra, 
printed  in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

Snowed  Up  ;  or,  The  Sportsman's  Club  in  the  Mts.  .       I  25 

Frank  Nelson  in  the  Forecastle  ;  or,  The  Sports- 
man's Club  among  the  Whalers i  25 

The  Boy  Traders  ;  or,  The  Sportsman's  Club  among 

the  Boers I  25 

BOY  TRAPPER  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon. 
3  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed 
in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

The  Buried  Treasure  ;  or,  Old  Jordan's  "  Haunt "  i  25 
The  Boy  Trapper;  or,  How  Dave  Filled  the  Order .  i  25 
The  Mail  Carrier i  * 


PORTER   A   COATES'S   POPULAR   JUVENILES.  3 

ROUGHING  IT  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon. 
3  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed 
in  colors.  In  box .  $3  75 

George  in  Camp  ;  or,  Life  on  the  Plains l  25 

George  at  the  "Wheel ;  or,  Life  in  a  Pilot  House  .      I  25 
George  at  the  Fort ;  or,  Life  Among  the  Soldiers  .      I  25 

ROD  AND  GUN  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon. 
3  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed 
in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

Don  Gordon's  Shooting  Box i  25 

Rod  and  Gun I  25 

The  Young  Wild  Fowlers i  25 

FOREST  AND  STREAM  SERIES.  By  Harry 
Castlemon.  3  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth, 
extra,  printed  in  colors.  In  box $3  75 

Joe  Wayring  at  Home;  or,  Story  of  a  Fly  Rod    .      I  2C 

Snagged  and  Sunk  ;  or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Can- 
vas Canoe I  25 

Steel  Horse ;  or,  The  Rambles  of  a  Bicycle  ....      i  25 

WAR  SERIES.  By  Harry  Castlemon.  4  vols., 
I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed  in 
colors.  In  box 5  oo 

True  to  his  Colors i  25 

Rodney,  the  Partisan    .    .  • i  25 

Marcy,  the  Blockade  Runner i  25 

Marcy,  the  Refugee i  25 

OUR  FELLOWS;  or,  Skirmishes  with  the  Swamp 
Dragoons.  By  Harry  Castlemon.  i6mo.  Fully  illus- 
trated. Cloth,  extra I  25 


ALGER'S 

RENOWNED 

BOOKS. 

BY 

HORATIO 
ALGER,  JR. 


Cover  of  the  Ragged 
Dick  Series. 


Horatio  Alger,  Jr.,  has  attained  distinction  as  one  of  the  most  popular 
of  books  for  boys,  and  the  following  list  comprises 


books. 
***  Any 


all  of  his  best 


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RAGGED   DICK  SERIES.       By   Horatio  Alger,      • 
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Ragged  Dick  ;  or,  Street  Life  in  New  York    ....      i  25 

Fame   and   Fortune ;   or,  The  Progress  of  Richard 

Hunter I  25 

Mark,  the  Match  Boy  ;  or,  Richard  Hunter's  Ward     i  25 

Rough  and  Ready ;  or,  Life  among  the  New  York 

Newsboys I  25 

Ben,  the  Luggage  Boy  ;  or,  Among  the  Wharves   .      125 

Bufus   and   Rose;   or,  the   Fortunes  of  Rough  and 

Ready I  25 

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(4) 


PORTER  *  COATES'S  POPULAR  JUVENILES,  5 

Tattered  Tom  ;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Street  Arab      .    .  I  25 

Paul,  the  Peddler;  or,  The  Adventures  of  a  Young 

Street  Merchant I  25 

Phil,  the  Fiddler ;  or,  The  Young  Street  Musician   .  I  25 

Slow  and  Sure ;  or,  From  the  Sidewalk  to  the  Shop  I  25 

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Julius ;  or  the  Street  Boy  Out  West I  25 

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The  Telegraph  Boy .  i  25 

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Luck  and  Pluck  ;  or  John  Oakley's  Inheritance   .    .  I  25 

Sink  or  Swim  ;  or,  Harry  Raymond's  Resolve  ...  I  25 

Strong  and  Steady ;  or,  Paddle  Your  Own  Canoe  .  I  25 

Strive  and   Succeed ;   or,  The  Progress  of  Walter 

Conrad I  25 

LUCK  AND  PLUCK  SERIES.  (SECOND 
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Try  and  Trust ;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Bound  Boy  ...  i  25 

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Risen  from  the  Ranks ;  or,  Harry  Walton's  Success  i  25 

•  Herbert  Carter's  Legacy  ;  or,  The  Inventor's  Son  .  i  25 

CAMPAIGN  SERIES.  By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr.  3 
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in  colors.     In  box $3  75 

Prank's  Campaign ;  or,  The  Farm  and  the  Camp    .  i  25 

Paul  Prescott's  Charge i  25 

Charlie  Codman's  Cruise  ...........  i  25 


6  PORTER   Jk   COATES'S   POPULAR  JUVENILES. 

BRAVE  AND  BOLD  SERIES.  By  Horatio 
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Brave  and  Bold ;  or,  The  Story  of  a  Factory  Boy  .  .  I  25 
Jack's  Ward ;  or,  The  Boy  Guardian I  25 

Shifting  for  Himself;  or,  Gilbert  Greyson's  For- 
tunes    i  25 

Wait  and  Hope  ;  or,  Ben  Bradford's  Motto   ....       I  35 

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The   Young  Adventurer;  or,  Tom's  Trip  Across 

the  Plains I  25 

The  Young  Miner ;  or,  Tom  Nelson  in  California  .  I  25 
The  Young  Explorer  ;  or,  Among  the  Sierras  .  .  I  25 

Ben's  Nugget ;  or,  A  Boy's  Search  for  Fortune.     A 

Story  of  the  Pacific  Coast I   25 

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The   Young   Circus   Rider;   or,  The   Mystery  of 

Robert  Rudd I  25 

Do  and  Dare  ;  or,  A  Brave  Boy's  Fight  for  Fortune  .  I  25 
Hector's  Inheritance  ;  or,  Boys  of  Smith  Institute  .  i  25 
Helping  Himself ;  or,  Grant  Thornton's  Ambition  .  i  25 

WAY  TO  SUCCESS  SERIES.  By  Horatio 
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extra,  printed  in  colors.  In  box $5  oo 

Bob  Burton I  25 

The  Store  Boy I  25 

Luke  Walton i  25 

Struggling  Upward I  25 


NEW  BOOK  BY  ALGER. 

DIGGING    FOR  GOLD.      By  Horatio  Alger,  Jr. 

Illustrated  1 2mo.     Cloth,  Llack,  red  and  gold      ...       I  25 


A 

New  Seiies 
of  Books. 

Indian  Life 

and 

Character 

Founded  on 

Historical 

Facts. 


Series. 

By  Edward  S.  Ellis. 


***  Any  volume  sold  separately. 


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Ned  in  the  Block  House  ;  or,  Life  on  the  Frontier,     i  25 
Ned  in  the  "Woods.     A  Tale  of  the  Early  Days  in 

the  West i  25 

Ned  on  the  River i  25 

DEERFOOT  SERIES.  By  Edward  S.  Ellis.  In 
box  containing  the  following.  3  vols.,  I2mo.  Illus- 
trated    •  •  .  .  .  $3  75 

Hunters  of  the  Ozark i  25 

Camp  in  the  Mountains i  25 

The  Last  "War  Trail  .    . i  25 

MDG  CABIN  SERIES.  By  Edward  S.  Ellis. 
3  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed 
In  colors.  In  box $3  75 

(7) 


8  PORTER    ft    COATES'S    POPULAR   JUVENILES. 

Lost  Trail $i  25 

Camp- Fire  and  Wigwam i  25 

Footprints  in  the  Forest i  25 

WYOMING   SERIES.     By  Edward  S.  Ellis.     3 
vols.,   I2mo.     Fully  illustrated.     Cloth,  extra,  pi inted 

in  colors.     In  box ^3  75 

Wyoming i  25 

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NEW  BOOKS  BY  EDWARD  S.  ELLIS. 

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On  the  Trail  of  the  Moose.     i2mo.    Cloth    .   .      i  25 

By  C.  A.  Stephens. 


Rare  books  for  boys— bright,  breezy,  wholesome  and  instructive  ;  full  of 
adventure  and  incident,  and  informal!  n  upon  natural  history.  They  ulend 
instruction  -with  amusement — contain  much  useful  and  valuable  information 
upon  the  habits  of  animals,  and  plenty  of  adventure,  fun  and  jollity. 

CAMPING  OUT  SERIES.  By  C.  A.  Stephens. 
6  vols.,  I2IHO.  Fully  illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed 
in  colors.  In  box $7  50 

Camping  Out.     As  recorded  by  "  Kit " i  25 

Left  on  Labrador ;  or  The  Cruise  of  the  Schooner 

Yacht  "  Curfew."  As  recorded  by  "  Wash  "  ....  I  25 

Off  to  the  Geysers  ;  or,  The  Young  Yachters  in  Ice- 
land. As  recorded  by  "Wade  ' I  25 

Lynx  Hunting.  From  Notes  by  the  author  of 

"  Camping  Out " I  25 

Fox  Hunting.    As  recorded  by  "  Raed  " I  25 

On  the  Amazon  ;  or,  The  Cruise  of  the  "  Rambler." 
As  recorded  by  "  Wash  " I  25 


By  J.  T.  Trowbridge. 


These  stories  will  rank  among  the  best  of  Mr.  Trowbridge's  books  for  th« 
young — and  he  has  written  some  of  the  best  of  our  juvenile  1  terature. 

TACK  HAZARD  SERIES.  By  J.  T.  Trowbridge. 
6  vols.,  I2mo.  Fully  Illustrated.  Cloth,  extra,  printed 
ID  colors.  In  box $7  50 


UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBRARY 

Los  Angeles 
This  book  is  DUE  on  the  last  date  stamped  below. 


1 1958 


APR  2 


DUE  3  WON 
DATE 


RECOVED 


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I  2 


)  1998 

THS  FROM 


Form  L9-42m-8,'49(B5573)444 


THE  LIBRARY 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA 
LOS  ANGELES 


A39U 


PZ7 
A39Ui 


